Bleeding Storm
by lordtrayus
Summary: Dean and Sam are on the run. The Leviathans have backed them into a corner, and now supernatural beings and government forces are amassing to bring down the Winchesters once and for all. As they run out of time, options and friends, and with their enemies growing, the brothers rally what help they can to try and stop the forces pursuing them as they make a desperate last stand...
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural**

Bleeding Storm

Dean looked at his brother worriedly. In the two days since they had left New Orleans, Sam had steadily gotten worse. His fever was still incredibly high, and nothing he took was making it go down. Dean had rolled down the windows, cranked on the air conditioning, and even then Sam was still incredibly hot, sweating buckets, drinking water like it was going out of fashion, his face clammy and his forehead roasting.

"Sammy?" Dean asked in concern as Sam gave a groan, once more rubbing his temple.

"I feel awful." He said sadly, and Dean didn't like the massive bags under his eyes one little bit.

"You look it too. We need to take you to a doctor, or to a hospital Sammy. You really don't look good, and I'm worried." Dean said in concern, looking at how weak his brother seemed, his eyes detecting the merest trace of a shiver in his little brother.

"No, we can't, they'll find you." Sam protested softly.

Dean cursed. The Leviathans had framed Dean for a murder one of their own had committed, and had also revealed to the world that he was still alive, hence the actions of the Leviathan who had taken on Dean's form were now being dumped on his shoulders. As they had continued across the country, bound for Seattle, news had broken that Dean was also wanted for the attempted murder of his little brother, and the actual murder of his little brother. Obviously, Dean hadn't killed Sam, though he had tried to in Dillimore, and Sam had been resurrected after his death, but now the entire country was on the lookout for Dean, which effectively narrowed the locations in which the boys could flee to.

As it stood, the boys were bound for Seattle, where they would meet up with Marion and Jody, two sheriffs who they were friends with, and once they had done that they would try and figure a way out of this mess. But with Leviathans looking for them, Dean wasn't sure how long they could avoid the authorities, especially when Sam was so ill, and continually rubbing his forehead wearily.

"Sammy, we might have to take that chance." Dean said grimly, but Sam shook his head.

"No, no way. Dean if they find you, they'll kill you." Sam moaned, and Dean frowned at his brother.

He knew Sam was just trying to protect him, make sure nothing bad happened to him. But Dean couldn't take the risk that by him trying to avoid the authorities, he could worsen Sam's condition.

Bobby then flickered into existence in the back seat, disturbing Dean before he had a chance to contradict Sam.

"Look, we're nearly at Seattle, and Jody will arrive tomorrow. If Sam's fever hasn't broken then, she can take him to the hospital, while you go off with Marion and try to avoid this mess. Hopefully if we split you two up, people won't be so suspicious about the two of you, and you might be able to move about a lot better." He said, and Dean nodded, but he didn't want to be split apart from Sam. Sam was seriously ill, his condition was getting worse and his constant rubbing of his head was making Dean uneasy. He wanted Sam where he could see him, where he could look after him.

"No. Still no hospitals." Sam said feebly, and Dean gave him a look, part irritated and part worried, and Sam's resistance seemed to melt.

"Sammy, I'm worried about you, you're getting worse, not better, we've packed you full of drugs and it hasn't had any effect. I'm scared, ok? The last time you had a fever this bad, you nearly died. Yeah, a shtriga might have helped, but you weren't doing so hot even before then, I was terrified back then I was going to lose you, and I'm not going through that again. So, we reach the motel, get you some proper rest, and if you're still this bad in the morning, Jody or not, then you're going to the hospital, got it?" Dean said firmly, his tone broaching no argument, and Sam nodded, his eyes dull, sweat streaming down his face, and Dean could tell that Sam just wanted to cuddle up to his brother and fall asleep, but on the run as they were, they couldn't take that risk. Sam gave a tired groan, and motioned to Dean, and after checking his mirrors, Dean drove the car onto the hard shoulder. Sam clambered out, ahead of Dean, and by the time he got to his brother, he had been sick, and was going again. Dean sidled alongside him, rubbing Sam's back as his brother heaved, not liking how pale and clammy Sam's skin was, or the fact that his entire body was shaking.

"You done?" Dean asked softly, stroking Sam's hair behind his ear as his brother wiped his mouth.

"Think so." He said, swaying as he stood upright, and Dean threw out a hand to steady him.

"Come on Sammy, we gotta get your fever down. Let's get to this damn motel. And if not, you're going straight to hospital." Dean said, his voice firm, but inside he was terrified, he had never seen Sam this weak with a fever before.

But he had to stay strong, he had to keep driving, and they had to get the hell out of here, preferably before some idiot spotted them on the road and realised who he was. He helped Sam back into the car, and as he entered the car, he saw that his brother had immediately dropped off to sleep, and was now shivering.

"Give me a blanket." Dean said to Bobby, and when he was passed one, he wrapped it tightly around his little brother, who's teeth were chattering.

"Aww Sammy, how'd you get into such a state huh?" Dean asked sadly, looking at his baby brother.

"Considering everything that happened in New Orleans, I'm surprised he isn't worse off than he is, there's no telling what sort of creepy ass voodoo Becky put in the hex bag she zapped him with." Bobby said darkly, and Dean's lip curled.

"If she did anything to make him this ill, I'll resurrect her and kill the crazy bitch all over again." He vowed, starting the car once more, as Sam shivered weakly beside him.

"He doesn't look good Dean. As in really not good." Bobby said darkly, and Dean looked at his brother in concern.

"Yeah, don't I know it." He whispered, and took a grip of Sam's hand, which had escaped from under the blanket.

"Hang in there Sammy. Don't give up on me yet." He whispered and put his brother's hand back under the blanket as he gunned his engine and sped them up the motorway once more.

XX

Valente had the scent, and Charlie was blasting them up the motorway. Soon now, they would get to the Winchesters. Valente smiled as he considered the trap the two brothers were now in. With so few of their friends remaining, and the entire country after them, the Winchesters had nowhere left to run, and soon now they would have them run to ground. Roman would finally forgive him for losing them the last time, and when he called this time, it would be with good news, and he would be hearing of promotion rather than bibbing.

Dean and Sam were cornered, unable to escape. With everyone believing they had committed those mass murders the previous year, and with Dean now being accused of murdering the Brandon police force and his own brother, the two of them were trapped. Dean wouldn't be able to go anywhere, and as it was clear that they couldn't function without one another, Sam would be unwilling and unable to leave Dean behind.

Their love for each other would be their undoing, and they would finally be destroyed by the enemies that they had so unwisely challenged.

Beside him, Charlie was smiling in grim satisfaction. Valente had picked up their trail, and it was fairly obvious that the boys were heading towards Seattle, probably hoping to escape into Canada. He despised Dean, who had murdered his brother. Dean, the arrogant little thug who thought he was hurting when it was clear he just had a guilty conscience because he had gotten caught red handed. And Charlie couldn't abide those who murdered their own kin, especially when his own brother had been murdered and they had never found the culprit. It made him incredibly driven in hunting down such scumbags, those who would kill the ones they're meant to love the most.

And soon Dean Winchester, courtesy of Valente, would be in his grasp. True he had to figure out a way to escape from Valente, who was a murdering monster, but at least Dean would be dead.

The continued on up the motorway, getting closer to the boys all the time.

XX

Gordon Walker, now the leader of a nest of vampire trackers, smiled as he ran a red felt tip in a cross over a picture of Bobby Singer. They were in his old friend Kubrick's RV, which he had found upon his return from Purgatory, had killed the owner and converted it to his own use, and now, his nest, despite how small it was, was hurtling along on the trail of the Winchesters.

Gordon looked around at his small nest. He had killed the leader, Clive, a couple of days ago, pleasing Clive's powerful employer, and offering his services in finding the two Winchesters, which the employer had accepted. Usurping control of the nest, he had led them after the two Winchesters, and now, they were closing in on them, catching up with the boys as they blazed towards Seattle, Washington.

"What about the angel friend they apparently had?" Gordon asked, and Grant, his best tracker and the second in command of the nest, shook his head in delight.

"He's dead too, they're all alone I tell you." He said cheerfully, and Gordon smiled, crossing out a picture of Castiel.

The Winchesters were completely on their own. And now, he would finally get to kill that little monster Sam, the one he blamed for his own turning into a vampire, and for good measure, he would kill Dean too. Actually, he would kill Dean first, and watch the demonic little shit scream and cry and beg as he slaughtered his brother before he finally turned on to him.

And the nest was behind him. When they learned that Dean had been responsible for the death of an entire nest of vampires, they had eagerly joined forces with him. Grant, dressed in a business suit, had naturally accepted Gordon as leader of the nest. Verity, dressed as a schoolgirl and vicious along with it, had eagerly accepted, wishing to join in on the bloodlust. Niall had long black hair to his shoulders and a stubbly beard, and he was dressed in farmer dungarees. Peter was a well built man, with grey hair and even greyer eyes. Jessie was a beautiful girl, albeit with a large claw mark down her face, and she had red hair that fell past her shoulders. And Ramoa was a woman of foreign descent, and ever since Gordon had taken over she hadn't said two words, which Verity indicated was because Clive, who Gordon had killed, had been her mate.

Niall was currently driving the RV, while Gordon narrowed down the list of friends of the Winchesters (traitors, all of them) that the boys might call on. At least, that was until he scented something on the wind, and called a stop, forcing Niall to pull in to a hard shoulder.

Gordon got out, and sniffed the air. Despite hating vampires all his life, he had to admit, their powers came in handy. Powers he would be sure to pay Sam Winchester back for.

The traitor had turned demonic, using his powers to kill hunters and start the Apocalypse. It also turned out that he was Lucifer's true vessel, big surprise. Something as obviously evil as that couldn't be allowed to live, it had to be killed like the cancer it was. Gordon knew that many hunters, himself included, had died all because of Sam and his brother.

Gordon had tried to warn Dean about Sam, told him he was evil and ought to be stopped, but he hadn't listened, and now, it transpired, was just as evil as he was, going around performing mass murders with reckless abandon.

It would be a civic duty to exterminate them.

He scented the air, and caught a whiff that was unmistakably Sam Winchester. Gordon prowled along the road, and found a pool of vomit that reeked of Sam.

"Yes, he was here. We're on the right track. And we're getting close." He said with dark glee, and they headed back to the RV to continue the pursuit.

XX

"Why not attack them now?" one of his retainers asked, and he shook his head.

"No, not yet. I want Dean to suffer a bit more first before I make my move, it's him that I want to suffer most. Sam is much less to blame in the entire affair. And as the days go on, unless Sam gets medical attention, Dean will suffer more than he ever has as he watches his brother's slow, inexorable slide towards death." He said with savage satisfaction.

"Won't that, well, alter your plans?" his most timid retainer asked, and he shook his head.

"No, you don't know these boys the way I do. Sam will not die, and even if he does, it will not be permanent. There is time left, but either way, Sam is effectively off the playing field for the moment. Which means Dean is our only obstacle."

"But you said he isn't. Remember, there are others hunting the boys, and we don't want to confront any of them." A woman retainer said nervously, and he waved his hand irritably.

"Dean is the only thing in the way of what I want. And as to the others hunting the Winchesters, they had all better take note...anyone getting in my way will be summarily executed." He growled viciously.

XX

Gordon's employer smiled as the driver took them north towards Seattle, where the Winchesters were meant to be going. Soon now, they would be run to ground, and then, their revenge would be complete. Rumours had reached them that they weren't the only ones looking for them, and they had no intention of letting anyone else steal their prize. And if that blasted vampire got in the way, he would be obliterated.

XX

Reynolds looked at the report, indicating someone matching the description of Dean Winchester had stopped at a gas station, refilled their car, and had bought several medicines before heading on again. And that station they hadn't long passed, and it was relatively obvious where they were heading. They were heading towards Seattle. Reynolds smiled grimly, knowing the chase would soon be over.

XX

Jody looked at Marion in concern as he drove them into the big queue that was wishing to cross the Canadian border. He'd had a rough couple of days, learning that virtually everyone he worked with had been murdered, and even more so when he learned that one of their friends was the one getting the blame.

It was Dean and Sam, after Sam's murder, who had driven Marion to abandon his station to help Dean stop the angel Zachariah for his murder of Sam, and also the one who had been driving Dean insane with visions. And Marion didn't regret it. The brothers had been reunited after Sam had possessed Zachariah and resurrected himself, and then they had persuaded Marion to go to ground with Jody, fearing the Leviathans would come after them after they were arrested under the names of Winchester, which automatically would have triggered alerts in the FBI databanks. And they had done so, only to learn a few days ago that the police in Brandon had all been murdered.

Now, the two of them were heading to a small motel, to meet up with Sam and Dean so they could try and figure out a way to sort all of this, and also bring the real murderer to justice for his murder of Marion's colleagues.

"You ok?" she asked softly, and he shrugged.

"I don't know Jody. Those kids, I trained them, i looked after them, showed them the ropes, and now they're all gone. And that really bothers me." He said, and she patted his arm.

"Well of course it does." She said kindly.

"I don't blame the boys if that's what you're wondering, I just, worry about it that's all. And ever since they released the list, I've been worried about Charlie, I can't reach him and its making me uneasy." He said, and she looked at him curiously.

"Really? Why? Surely him being alive is a good thing?" she asked, and he nodded, but his eyes remained clouded just the same.

"Yeah, it is. Problem is, I don't know how he survived, and that's what's bothering me. Could he just have escaped? Because from what the boys said, they don't seem the sorts to leave witnesses. Or, was he let go?" Charlie asked darkly, and he couldn't help it, something was niggling him about Charlie still being alive.

"You can't think like that." Jody told him as they neared the passport booth, and she got them both from the glove compartment.

"I know. So where are the boys?" he asked as they got closer.

"Heading to the motel, we'll meet them there. They're in a big range rover, we should find them pretty easily. But I'm getting worried, I haven't got an answer the last few times I called Sam." She said in concern.

"It's probably nothing. One of them will most likely be driving, the other will be sleeping, and I doubt Bobby can answer phones." He assured her, and she nodded.

Still, she couldn't help but shake the feeling that something was very wrong as they were cleared to cross the border

XX

Getting into the motel had been difficult. Sam, whose condition had further deteriorated, had struggled into the motel and asked for a room, and the man behind the desk, seeing how bad Sam looked, had just waved him towards their room. Dean had been watching his brother intently, and Sam was only a few feet from the car when he collapsed.

"Sammy!" Dean cried in alarm, rushing out of the car to his brother's side, looking on in panic as Sam clutched his left temple.

"Sammy, talk to me." Dean pleaded desperately, looking up and seeing the owner hadn't even noticed.

"Ugh, I'm fine." He croaked weakly, and Dean hugged him to him.

"Alright, we'll get inside, then you're going straight to a hospital, you hear me?" he asked, hating how much his brother was sweating and shivering at the same time, and Dean exchanged a dark look with Bobby.

He'd been worried before, but now he was seriously terrified. Something was seriously wrong with Sam, and he needed a hospital, or at least a doctor, and he needed it now. And the Leviathans trap be damned, he was going to get his brother a doctor. It didn't matter if every law enforcer in the state descended upon him, or if he attracted every Leviathan from George all the way up to Roman himself, he had to get Sam medical help, because now, he may be being stupid and irrational, but he was seriously concerned that his brother might die.

"Dean..." Sam said weakly as Dean helped him to his feet, and supported him to their room door, banging it open.

Dean immediately set Sam on the bed the furthest from the door, and, still keeping an eye on him, he dashed across the room, throwing open the fridge to find bottles of water, and to his great relief, a small ice box. Wrapping the ice in a face cloth he found in the bathroom, he hurried to Sam and laid it on his head, and smiled a little at Sam's yelp of surprise, and smiled even more as his brother let out a relaxed sigh.

"Hmm, that feels good, thanks." Sam said wearily, pressing the cloth to his forehead in relief.

"Good, that'll cool down the rest of you. Come on bro, lose as many layers as you can, we need to cool you down, you're burning up. I would fill the bath with ice if I could." Dean said, worried that his brother was still sweating incredibly, but at least his head was cooling down.

Sam slowly took off his jacket, his muscles aching, his left temple pounding, so he moved the cloth a little to try to alleviate the pain. He was so tired, so hot, yet still shivering, his teeth were chattering, his eyes were sore, his mouth was parched, everything ached, his stomach hurt from the few times he had vomited coming up the road, and he still had that maddening pain in his left temple.

"Want me to fill the bath?" Dean asked worriedly, and Sam shook his head.

"No, I don't think that'll help, it won't be cold enough. I'll just lie here." He mumbled, flopping back, but Dean shook his head.

"Sammy, come on, you know better than this. This is one bitch of a fever, and you're burning up. I need to get you as cool as possible, so strip." He ordered, and Sam didn't even have the strength to glower at Dean as Dean started to help him out of his jeans, and Dean recoiled at all the heat that was coming off of his brother's legs as he did so. Sam was still fumbling sleepily with his shirt, so Dean undid it for him, and left his brother, still sweating buckets, lying in his boxers on the bed.

"Sammy, you need a doctor." Dean said grimly, fetching him some ice water, which his brother gratefully drank.

"No Dean, you can't, if you do, they'll get you. I need you." Sam said weakly, flashing puppy dog eyes at him, and Dean struggled to do the right thing, he never had been able to resist that look.

"I know you do Sammy, I need you too, but that means you need a doctor, you're really sick. I'm on the run here remember? I sort of need you on side." He said, his voice one of forced calm, but Sam still looked up at him, hurt.

"I'm sorry. You've got enough problems without worrying about me." He said sadly, and Dean shook his head, sitting beside his brother. He'd always done that, felt bad whenever he did something as human as get ill, ever since their damned father had yelled at him for giving him and Dean a cold when they were hunting an ogre, and their dad had had to get Joshua to do it instead. Ever since, Sam had always hated it when he was ill, thinking he had failed, or caused trouble and was just an all round inconvenience.

"Hey, this isn't your fault. And you're my only problem ok Sammy? I need you well, it's the only way I'm going to get through this. So, you need a doctor, and I don't care that the entire country is after me, I can cope with prison, I just need to know you're alright." He intoned, and Sam still stubbornly shook his head.

"But Dean, the Leviathans..." he said, and Dean growled in frustration, and Sam cowered slightly, which made Dean feel even worse about their present situation, seeing the same terrified look Sam had had on his face in that hospital room in Dillimore, thinking he might hurt him.

"Aww Sammy, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that. It's not you I'm mad at, it's this damn situation. You're ill, and I can't get you seen to because of what the damn Leviathans have done, they've made me more bloody wanted than Osama, and I'm pretty sure if someone so much as glimpses me in the street, the authorities are going to descend on me en masse. It's just frustrating, seeing how much trouble you're in and not being able to do a damn thing about it, I can't even call out a doctor, because if I do, there's a chance they'll recognise you, no matter how crappy you look, and then we'll be in a worse mess." He complained, and started slightly as he felt Sam's hand, which was astonishingly cold compared to the rest of him, squeeze his wrist.

"This isn't your fault Dean. I know you didn't murder them. I know you didn't murder me." He whispered with a smile, and Dean smiled, brushing his brother's sweat slicked hair behind his ears.

"Thanks. I just feel helpless, seeing how bad a mess you're in." He said in concern, and Sam nodded slowly.

"Dean, Jody and Marion will be here soon. When they get here, one of them can take me to the hospital. You can't, and I won't have you going to jail because of me. Please Dean." He said imploringly, his puppy dog eyes made all the worse by how weak and sad he looked, and Dean crumbled even quicker than usual.

"Alright. Fine. We wait until Jody gets here. But one sniffle, one sneeze, and you're going straight there, no matter what you say. Got it?" he demanded, and Sam nodded slowly.

"Good boy. You still boiling or do you want a blanket?" he asked in concern, and Sam shook his head.

"No. But can you open the windows? I'm dying here." He whispered, and Dean shot him a reproachful look.

"That wasn't funny." He said, and Sam looked up at him, embarrassed.

"Sorry." He said sheepishly, as Dean opened the windows as wide as they would go, turned on the air conditioning, made sure the radiators were off, opened the door to the bathroom, and began filling up the ice tray once more.

"Dean..." Sam croaked, and Dean was at his side in an instant, and Sam smiled.

"You know, carry on like this, I'm going to get you a nurses' uniform." He teased, and Dean poked him, grinning slightly.

"And you know I'd be the best looking nurse on any ward." He said, making Sam roll his eyes.

"Sure. Dean, you need to rest." He said pleadingly, and Dean shook his head.

"Sammy, no, I..."

"Dean, you've been driving three days straight, you've had about eight hours sleep the last three days, and we didn't get much in New Orleans either. Get some rest." Sam pleaded.

"Sammy, I can't, i'm too worried about you, and Jody might need help to find us, and I haven't unpacked the car..." he protested, but Sam shook his head stubbornly.

"Dean, I'm not going anywhere. Jody can phone if she needs us, the car can wait till morning, and you're dead on your feet. Please!" he implored, his puppy dog eyes brimming slightly with sweat or frustrated tears, Dean didn't know.

Either way, he still caved.

"You know, one of these days I'm going to grow a pair, and refuse you when you do that." He said petulantly, and Sam snorted and closed his eyes as Dean swapped his ice cloth for a new one.

"Thanks Dean. I don't want you getting ill too." Sam said kindly, and Dean smiled.

"Alright. I'll get some sleep. But you make one noise, and you're off to the doctors buddy boy." He warned, but it was futile as Sam had already drifted to sleep.

Dean eyed his brother's sweating body worriedly, wondering what the hell was wrong with his baby brother. But, Sam was right, he was exhausted. Totally exhausted. He hadn't slept since the night before he'd been turned back from a voodoo doll, and since their rather abrupt departure had left them tired and drained, and Sam becoming ill on top of that, meant Sam hadn't been able to take the wheel, and so Dean was tired, cramped, stiff, worried, and scared. He was exhausted. And worried about Sam.

But, he supposed, he would be no use to his brother if he worked himself ill too. And he was very tired. Figuring he would get Bobby in the morning, Dean leaned back on the pillows. Sam seemed quiet for the moment, even though he was still dripping with sweat. So, maybe he could rest. Dean faced is brother, and as soon as he turned to his side, he was fast asleep.

XX

Valente smiled as Charlie brought the car into the motel car park. The scent was strong, he could feel it.

"We have them. They're here." He said in triumph, and Charlie grinned.

"Good. Where?" he asked, looking around the rooms of the motel.

"That's the benefit of being an FBI agent. You don't need to waste time looking in them all. You can just ask the owner." He said, climbing out of the car, and pulling out his phone, texting Roman.

'I have the Winchesters'.

XX

Jody pulled the car into the motel car park, and smiled in relief as she saw the range rover Sam had described to her.

"I think that's them." She said in relief, poking a dozing Marion awake.

"Thank god. Now, all we need to do is find them." He said, looking around the rooms of the dingy motel.

Jody was squinting at the rover, and shook her head.

"No need, they've left Bobby in the car. Come on." She said, not noticing as two people headed for a specific room.

XX

Bobby watched as another car rolled into the car park, still grumpy. He knew Dean had been terrified when Sam had collapsed, but he still could have taken him inside with him. Or at the very least left the radio on for him to listen to.

Bobby did have to admit though, even he was worried about Sam. The kid had never looked so bad, and Bobby had seen him at his worst, and he would gladly take any of them over how bad he looked now. And Dean was scared. Both boys had been backed into a corner by the big mouths, and had immobilised them to the point they couldn't function, and it looked bad however you span it. Everyone was after Dean, and everyone thought Sam was dead. The Leviathans had them good and cornered, and he couldn't see any way out.

"Hmm, busy night at the end of the world." Bobby said, watching as two people approached the room the boys were in.

And then his attention was drawn to two people approaching the car, and he grumbled.

"Oh, just try it boyo, if you're about to try and rob us, you're going to get a hell of a fright." He said grouchily, preparing to scare the daylights of the one coming towards the car in the darkness.

Well, he was until the two walking towards the room, and he went pale, even for a ghost. One was the deputy who actually thought Dean had killed Sam. And the other was a man dressed in an FBI suit, and Bobby put two and two together, realising who it must be.

Leviathan.

"Balls!" he cursed, just as the door to the car, which Dean hadn't locked in his haste to get to Sam, flew open.

Bobby turned to snarl angrily, then his face broke into a grin.

"Jody!" he cried in relieved delight.

"Hi Bobby. Good to see you." She said with a smile.

"Heya Bobby." Marion said, waving.

Bobby had never been so happy to see anyone.

"Alright, sappy reunions later. Pick up a big knife. Your deputy Marion, and an FBI Leviathan just went into Sam and Dean's room, and Sam really isn't in the position to have a fight." He said, and Jody looked at him in alarm, grabbing a long knife.

"We're on it. That room with the door wide open?" Marion asked, and Bobby nodded.

"Yeah. Hurry!" he urged and the two of them ran for the room.

"Balls, should have got them to take me with them." He cursed, and hoped for the best.

XX

"Dean!" Sam's panicked voice cried, and Dean was awake in an instant, and his heart went cold as he saw Charlie, the deputy from Brandon, standing opposite him, his brother, still looking awful, trapped in a headlock.

"Well, I didn't believe it when you told me that Sam must be alive, but consider me convinced. What the hell are you?" Charlie demanded, his gun pointed at Dean, who couldn't do anything except look at his ill and terrified brother, who was too weak to even try to prise himself free.

"Look, we can just talk about this." Dean said in what he hoped was a soothing voice, but the truth was, he was terrified, as Sam was in no condition to fight, he looked worse than he had, and Charlie had Dean in his sights.

"I don't think he will want to talk to you Dean somehow." A voice said, and Dean turned to the doorway, to see another man standing there, grinning smugly.

And then he tipped his head back and roared, showing massive teeth and a bifurcated tongue.

Leviathan.

"Crap." Dean grumbled, and heard the click of Charlie's gun.

"You know, I didn't believe it. I didn't think anyone could come back from the dead, but here's the little brother you killed, right in my arms." He said in wonder, glaring at Dean.

"He didn't kill me." Sam protested feebly, kicking his legs slowly, to no avail.

"Look, if you're here to kill me for killing Sam, you can just forget it, I didn't kill Sam. And I'm willing to bet your buddy here is the one who slaughtered everyone in your station. Right? In case you're really thick, that makes him the bad guy." Dean said, wishing he would free Sam from his grip.

"Ah, but does it Dean? While he may be a little mixed up about his intentions, he has every right to want to kill you. After all...he's been looking for many years for the man who killed his brother." Valente said smugly, and Dean, Sam and Charlie all looked at him in shock, before Charlie turned back to Dean, snarling, raising his gun to point at Dean's head.

"He killed my brother?" he demanded, and Sam was looking at him questioningly, and Dean shrugged, not having a clue, he'd killed a fair few bad guys.

"Yes, he did. You remember Dean. It was the first werewolf you encountered after the one Sam slept with." Valente purred, and Dean went pale as he remembered.

Come to think of it, the man had looked a little like Charlie. He'd been bitted and had become a savage werewolf. Sam, who was still a bit shaky considering he'd fallen for Madison then had to kill her when he found out what she was, hadn't liked the hunt, and Dean had volunteered to actually kill the beast. In the end he would have had to anyway, as he had knocked Sam out, but still, he had been trying to spare Sam additional pain.

"Crap." Dean muttered, and Charlie's face turned into a furious snarl.

"Yes Charlie, he is the one who killed him. Now you can avenge your brother. Kill Dean. And it's dinner time." Valente said, roaring and showing his teeth, and Dean looked desperately at Sam, there was nothing they could do, they were both about to die.

When a bullet rang out and hit Charlie in the shoulder, freeing Sam from his grip and sending him to the floor. Valente turned, only to have his head nearly cut all the way off by a swinging blade.

Dean looked around to see Jody and Marion, their faces grim, standing in the doorway.

"Come on!" Jody cried, as Valente's head started to rise, supported by a few remaining sinews.

"Dean, I can't go far." Sam said, and Dean leapt off the bed, hoisted his brother up, and the two of them dashed out of the room, just as Valente reattached his head and gave a roar.

"I'll drive!" Marion declared, leaping into the front seat, and Jody went into the passenger side.

Bobby hastily shoved the bags to the side to allow Deana and Sam to clamber in, and Dean was worried about how much Sam was shivering.

"Dean..." he mumbled sleepily, as Valente left the room, glowering at them furiously, followed by a bleeding and angry looking Charlie.

"Drive!" Dean cried, as Sam rested his head on his shoulder, and Marion gunned the engine, blazing out of the car park.

XX

"No, he can't escape! He won't!" Charlie spat, running for the car, and Valente joined him, leaping in.

"Do not lose them, or my dinner will be you." He warned darkly, and Charlie sped after the escaping car.

XX

Marion blazed up the dark country roads, intending to aim for Seattle but shoot right past it.

"Thanks for the save you guys." Dean said in relief, as Sam shuddered beside him, and Dean pulled him close to keep him warm while he searched one handedly for Sam's hoodie in his duffel.

"You're welcome. Oh it is good to see you boys." Marion said fondly.

"But Sam could look a lot better. You look dreadful Sam." Jody said worriedly, noting how bad he looked.

"I don't know what's wrong with him, he has an awful fever, we can't break it." Dean said anxiously, and Sam grunted in pain as his temple throbbed again.

"I reckon he needs a hospital." Bobby said darkly, and Marion nodded.

"Agreed. If we can get into the city, Jody or I can take him in, and you can just skulk around in the car, ok?" Marion asked, and Dean nodded, finally finding the hoody and helping his suddenly freezing, shirtless brother into it.

"Dean, I feel crap." Sam moaned, leaning his head in between his bare knees.

"Sammy, keep it together, come on kiddo, we're on the run here. You aren't going to hurl are you?" Dean asked worriedly, as he passed Sam some joggers, and managed after a few minutes to get him into them.

"No, I just feel worse, my headache's worse, my neck hurts, my bones and muscles hurt, I'm too hot, I'm too cold..." Sam said in exhaustion, leaning his head back onto Dean's shoulder tiredly.

"Sammy." Dean said anxiously, and as Bobby turned to look at him, he saw a car right on their tail.

"Marion, they're following us!" he cried in shock as they passed under a streetlight and he saw Charlie driving, a furious Valente beside him.

"Piss sticks! Hang on!" Marion said, shifting up a gear and the range rover blazed along the motor way, the Leviathan close behind.

Sam was shaking and sweating, and Dean was getting more and more worried by the second as Marion drove the car along the winding roads outside of the city.

"He really needs a hospital." Dean said, as Sam began to breathe heavily.

"That's second on my to do list after we get the hell out of this." Marion said darkly, and Jody shook her head.

"This is all my fault, if I'd sliced his head properly, he wouldn't be chasing us." She cursed herself, clambering for a gun in her belt.

"It wasn't your fault Jody, you did good for your first Leviathan battle. Besides, I don't think we'd have gotten away even if you had, Charlie's kind of pissed with me." Dean admitted, and Marion looked in the mirror at him, screeching the car on two wheels as he turned a corner.

"Charlie's lost it, he has to know the Levi is the guy who killed the other officers, and he's working with him! And why's he pissed with you?" he asked in interest.

"Probably the same reason he's working with it in the first place. I'm betting the Leviathan dangled the identity of his brother's killer in front of him, and now, he knows who it is." Dean said sheepishly, and checked Sam's forehead to find he was burning hot, to his great concern.

"You I take it? Was he a monster?" Jody asked, and Dean nodded.

"Yeah, werewolf." He answered, and he shook Sam slightly but received no response.

"Sammy?" he asked sharply, and got no reply.

"Sammy!" Dean cried.

The car thundered along the road, but the other one was catching up, and Charlie was beginning to shoot out of his window at the car, and each spark made Marion swerve the car.

"Can't you do something about him? He is so fired when I get back to the station!" Marion declared angrily, wincing as a shot took out his wing mirror.

"I can't get a good angle." Jody cursed desperately as they span around another corner, hurtling through a tunnel, high above the speed limit.

"The luggage is at the other window, and I can't get past Sam to shoot out of the window." Dean said, and Bobby grinned wickedly.

"I can help. Hang on." He said, and projected himself into the car behind.

Charlie's eyes bulged as Bobby appeared right in front of him, and Valente roared in fury at his appearance, turning to try and bite the ghost.

"Hey what does this do?" Bobby asked, avoiding Valente (he wasn't entirely sure if he could survive a Leviathan bite even if he was dead) and pulled the handbrake.

Charlie swore as the ghost disappeared, the car screeching along the road, burning out the tyres as it did so.

"What the hell was that?" Charlie demanded, shunting the brake free and once more floored the accelerator.

"A ghost. Roman will be most displeased to learn the old fool stuck around, he thought he'd gotten rid of him for good. Hurry!" Valente snapped, and Charlie pressed the car harder.

Bobby flared back, and shook his head.

"I doubt that'll hold them for long." He reported grimly, and Marion checked the distance between them and nodded.

"It's good enough Bobby. We'll get out of this yet." Marion said, burling the car around a corner and pelting up the road.

However, the small lead they had acquired quickly closed as the other car sped up, it clearly coped better with the small inclines in the road than the range rover did. Marion cursed as the other car began to close, banging the back of the car with its bumper, and the range rover wobbled.

Dean looked out of the window worriedly, and gently lowered Sam down to the seat before grabbing his gun and spinning around, firing through the window towards the car. The glass shattered and the bullets started to ping off the bonnet, and the car wobbled slightly, falling back a little.

Marion drove them off the side road, hurtling down onto a more major road, Dean still firing towards their pursuit, but while he had nicked the windscreen, he hadn't done nearly enough damage to slow them down, and as they descended the hill towards the next road, the smaller car was picking up speed, and slammed into the back of the range rover, knocking Dean backwards and trapping him between the front two seats. Jody helped him out while Marion struggled to get the car under control, swerving off onto the hard shoulder before he managed to.

They descended onto the main road, surrounded by thick trees, the lights illuminating their path. But now that they were on a major road, the other car was gaining on the flat stretch, and was getting closer and closer to them, about to slam into them at any minute.

Marion smiled as he saw a cut off, and slammed his brakes on just before it.

The other car blazed past, and he quickly spun the wheel and sent them up the incline, taking them back onto a country road. However, at this late hour, there was no one to stop them coming up the opposite side, and their pursuit quickly drove over the road, determined to stop them.

Sam's breath was still coming in ragged gasps, and Dean sat back down again, his weapons spent and lifted his brother up to check on him, and didn't like what he saw at all. Sam was still incredibly hot, his hair dripping with sweat, and he was groaning a little in between breaths, and his hand seemed to be glued to his left temple, his eyes closed in pain.

"Sammy!" Dean barked desperately.

"It hurts." He moaned, and the entire car shook as they hit a pothole that made the car swerve.

"Stay with us Sammy, we'll fix you soon." Dean promised, though he didn't even know if they were going to survive this.

"Don't these guys ever die?" Jody wailed as Marion sent them hurtling up a hill road, making for the top.

"Apparently not." Marion said, waving from side to side in the middle of the road as Dean clutched Sam to him and Bobby looked on in helpless panic.

Sam was shivering again, and Dean was getting seriously scared. The Leviathan was right behind them, and Sam was getting worse, and he didn't know which was worse.

"Come on Sam." He pleaded quietly into his brother's hair as they rose the steep hill as fast at they could.

Marion looked down to the side, nodding. It was a relatively steep drop, but survivable, but if he could get the Leviathan to lose control, he might get rid of them. He pinwheeled around the sharp bend and rose to the top of the hill, heading for the tunnel that would balance out before heading back down the other side.

"Sam!" Dean cried in shock, and Marion looked in his mirror, to see Sam screaming and clasping his temple, and fall into a seizure, shaking around on the back seat.

"What's wrong?" Jody asked, leaning back to help restrain him as Sam cried out.

"I don't know. Sam! Sammy!" Dean pleaded, and even Bobby concentrated to try and hold Sam still, and Marion was finding it harder to control the car, his elbows kept hitting Jody.

"I can't drive a car nowadays without a Winchester having a seizure in the back." He grumbled, and Jody glared at him, as Sam continued to thrash.

And then, she heard Marion swear, and she sat back in her seat, just as Marion swerved the car around a corner.

Just in time.

A massive freight hauler turned around the corner, going faster than it ought to have, and it just missed them, its runners scratching the side of the car.

"SHIT!" Marion yelled, taking the car to the edge of the road, as close to the wall as possible.

But the car following them wasn't so lucky, and the truck ploughed right into them, crushing the front of the car and sending it spiralling into the wall, black blood spurting all over the windscreen as it did so.

"Yes!" Bobby cried in triumph, and Marion grinned slightly, gunning the engine, and slowed down, sending the car at a leisurely pace down the hill, while Sam continued to seize in the back, to the worry of the others.

XX

Charlie staggered out of the car, his forehead bleeding, his arm aching. The Winchesters had escaped. That damn fool truck driver, who had been going too fast, had allowed his brother's killer to escape!

"You idiot!" Charlie bellowed at the man as he climbed out of his dented truck, and the old man looked at him, worry and apology written all over his face.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry, is your friend alright? Hang on, I'll call an ambulance!" he said, heading for his truck to get his phone, but Charlie thought with slight satisfaction that it wouldn't do much good, Valente's head had been smashed in.

He heard a clunk from behind him, and looked wide eyed as Valente climbed out, his head dented but regaining its usual shape.

"Impossible..." Charlie breathed.

"You're alive! My god, thank god, I'm so sorry!" the old man said, running towards Valente.

"So you should be, you've just let them escape!" Valente roared, and revealed his true form and began to devour the old man in fury.

XX

They were speeding down the hill, Sam still shaking, and the others were all seriously worried.

"Sammy, please stop, what's going on?" Dean pleaded, tears in his eyes, and Sam groaned suddenly, before he gave one last jerk, and finally went still.

"Oh thank god he's stopped. What brought that on?" Jody asked, sitting back in relief as Sam went still, still clasped tightly by Dean.

"No clue." Dean said, his voice tearful, and then he felt panic rise in him again.

"Sam. Sammy!" he called, and Bobby looked at the other two worriedly.

"He isn't breathing." He said anxiously, and Jody and Marion both turned to look at Dean as he desperately tried to make his brother breathe.

And as they did so, a pick up truck plummeted down from a small incline that led to a farm at the top of the hill, and slammed into the side of the car at great speed, smashing into the right hand side of the car and sending it into an uncontrollable spin. The right hand side crushed, the car spun ever closer to the edge of the road, the occupants screaming as the car slammed into the fence.

"No!" Marion screamed, and the car broke through it, and with a lurching feeling, the car tipped off the high road, carried by momentum, and fell out of sight.

The car spiralled in the air as it rolled down the hillside, the front and rear becoming crushed as it bounced, items and parts falling off of or out of the car as it plummeted down the hill. It hit a rock on the way down and the car twisted in the air, landing on its wheels and heading down the last part of the small, steep incline head first, jerking uncontrollably as it rolled down the hill, items littering the small incline they had come crashing down.

And then it slammed into a large rock at the bottom of the incline, and came to a final stop, its lights flaring and going out, steam emitting from the bonnet, the windscreen smashed, the right hand side crushed, the back door hanging off, the front crunched up, one of the wheels hanging off, and the smell of gasoline in the air.

And inside, there lay four bodies.

Marion was slumped over the steering wheel, his leg at an unnatural angle, blood pouring from a head wound, his entire body unmoving.

Jody was unconscious, her head slumped in her chest, blood trickling from many cuts and abrasions, her right leg trapped by the smashed side, her arm pinned against her, and something was digging into her gut, making it bleed slowly.

Dean was still holding Sam somehow, but he himself had the duffels leaning against him, some of their contents having cut or snagged him. Blood was pouring from a wound above his eye and from his cheek. His head was slumped to the side, his ankle bent at a bizarre angle, the arm around Sam twisted and limp, and flecks of glass had embedded themselves into his arm and face.

And Sam lay across his brother's knees, masses of blood gushing from his left temple, his body stiff, his arm dangling limply over the seat, his head facing the ceiling, trapped in Dean's groin, his hair lank about him, covered in blood and sweat, draped over his eyes, and he was unknowingly trapped in his big brother's loving, desperate, protective grip, and Dean's last act had been to try and protect his baby brother.

**Hello again, and here we are with the first chapter of the last story of this arc!**

**Well, the boys are still being hunted by all these unseen foes. And now, Charlie has a proper reason to hunt Dean, he killed his brother, and with him, Valente, Gordon, Reynolds and the other two unseen forces, the boys days may be numbered!  
**

**That is if they arent numbered already. What is wrong with Sam? What's happening to him, why did he seize in the car? And of course, the car crash. Will they survive? Are any of them dead? Whos in the worst state out of the lot of them, and will help get there in time before its too late?  
**

**Next chapter, all will be revealed (well at least all our villains will, as will a friend), and we will finally discover the identity of Gordon's employer and the other one seeking the boys. But, will they arrive too late, will the boys already be dead? Are they, Marion and Jody bound for an early exit?  
**

**Read next time to find out!  
**

**Anyway, as always it will hopefully be updated tomorrow (it might not be as long but you never know), so until then, please read and review review review, ill be very grateful!  
**

**Until next time!  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural**

Bleeding Storm

Dean knew he had had a hold of his brother when they crashed, so when he woke up, his body killing him, everything alive with pain, his thoughts went immediately into a panic when he realised that he didn't have his brother wrapped in his arms anymore.

"Sammy!" he yelled urgently, and a pretty ambulance crewer smiled down at him soothingly.

"Good, you're awake. You've been in a car accident, we're taking you to the hospital, we're just getting you all onto the stretchers and into the ambulances now, and someone is collecting your things." She said kindly, and he made a negative noise in his throat.

"No, wait, Sam, my little brother, where is he?" and she looked at him curiously, before realising who he was talking about.

"Oh, the one with the long hair, he's your brother?" she asked, and he made a noise of assent, fearing for his little brother, remembering the awful seizure he had had even before they had crashed the car.

"Yeah, where is he, is he alright?" he pleaded desperately and she frowned worriedly.

"I don't know, he wasn't in that good a shape when we found him, he had a lot of blood coming from his head. As soon as we get him to the hospital, he's going straight for a scan, but, well he didn't look good." She said as she began to wheel the stretcher towards the ambulance.

"Please, I need to stay with Sam, please let me go with my brother." Dean pleaded, trying to move his head, but he then realised he was strapped to a headboard and couldn't do so.

"You'll be in the same ambulance as him, don't worry. We found an old hip flask, is it yours?" she asked, and he nodded as much as he could, he couldn't lose Bobby out here in the wilderness, he'd never live it down.

"Yeah, it belongs to me. What about the others, are they alright?" he asked worriedly, and she nodded.

"They will be, they're beat up, but they will be fine, it's you and your brother we're worried about, you took quite a beating. You've damaged your ankle, you have several nasty cuts and bruises, whiplash and a nasty laceration. And your brother has a fever on top of his injuries, and he doesn't look very good." She said, and he felt panic rise in him as she discussed Sam's condition with him.

"He...he had a seizure, right before the crash, he was shaking and everything." Dean admitted worriedly, and she frowned.

"All the more vital we get him to the hospital soon then. Is there anyone you would like us to call for you?" she asked, and he was about to say no, when it suddenly dawned on him just how bad a situation they were all in.

They were all badly beat up, and were being taken to a hospital. His brother was still in the worst shape out of the lot of them, and needed a scan, and she had said that he was bleeding a lot from his head, and the news about the seizure had made her more worried. And, there was the fact that he, who was wanted by virtually the entire country, was now going to be in a very public place, and they were obviously about to be found out. And what was more, with Valente on their tail, it wouldn't be long before the Leviathans found them again. And they were being taken to a hospital, which were known to be favourite hang outs of Leviathans.

They were in severe trouble, and they needed help, and they would need to escape before too long if they intended to get out of this mess. And even though most of their friends were dead, there was still one person he felt they could call on.

"Yeah, if you find my phone in the reddish coloured duffel, and if it's in one piece, phone the guy called Garth and tell him what happened..." Dean ordered, as he was heaved into the ambulance, and was relieved at the sight of his baby brother's overlarge feet.

His relief quickly faded to terror as he saw the mess Sam was in. His face was deathly pale, blood still pouring from the wound on his temple, despite the bandage that had been put in place on it. Blood and sweat had matted his hair, and his face was peppered with tiny abrasions, and he was ever so still, as if he were dead.

"Sammy..." Dean said, stretching his hand out and taking Sam's cold hand in his own stiff one.

"I'm telling you, that's the guy from the TV, the guy who killed all those people!" a voice said from outside the ambulance, and Dean gulped.

They were already guessing who he was. Which meant that very soon, the Leviathans and the police would be swarming all over them. They were wounded, trapped, with nowhere to go and no one to turn to. This time they were well and truly screwed. Even if Garth did show up, there would be no stopping Valente, he would just pull himself back together and come after them.

They were trapped, with no way out. The Leviathans had turned the entire damn world against them, and now they were going to a place that could conceivably be Leviathan central, where as wounded as they were, there was very little chance of escape from such a state.

"Sammy...we're in trouble." Dean whispered, squeezing his brother's hand, and wishing for nothing more than a return squeeze of reassurance as the door to the ambulance closed.

XX

"We need to get him into an MRI scan, stat!" the doctor in charge of Sam's case snapped as the wounded young man was wheeled in, bound for immediate help, while Dean, Jody and Marion were taken away to different rooms to be tended to.

And from the shadows, Dr Villar smiled as he saw who had just been wheeled into his hospital. The Winchester brothers were here, at his mercy. That fool Valente must have lost them.

Licking his lips at the thought of the meal to come later, he called Nurse Featherstone to let her know they would be staying in for dinner tonight.

XX

"Reports are beginning to come in, indicating that wanted fugitive Dean Winchester has been apprehended outside Seattle. Details are still unclear but it seems like he was trying to escape authorities when he was involved in a car accident, and has now been taken to Seattle Grace hospital." The news anchor reported, and Meg cursed as she entered the room of the patient next to Castiel, someone who believed he saw demons in people and had killed several people in order to try and destroy these demons. The ironic thing was, she was a demon and he thought she was lovely.

She nodded to Randolph, a security guard who was highly suspicious of her. He hadn't liked her near instant hiring, and disliked the fact that she spent nearly all her time watching over Castiel. And ever since the news had broken about Dean, he had been acting even more suspicious of her.

"Now I'm sure of it." He said, eyeing the patient, who was still lucid but held down, but was quickly dozing off.

"Sure of what?" she asked in a bored voice, checking the patient, nodding slightly, before turning to glare at him.

"That scumbag Winchester was here, his brother was locked up here. And you came here with him. You know who he is, you know what he's capable of. I knew there was something funny about you, it was too easy for you to slip into here. What's your angle? What did that bastard do to that poor faith healer?" he demanded angrily, and she narrowed her eyes at him, watching as the patient went to sleep.

"Listen Randolph, I don't know what you're talking about." She said, and walked around the bed, intent on leaving the room, when he grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him, raising his stunner to her face.

"I think you do. I heard about that man that Winchester came in with. He was a good man, a faith healer, wouldn't hurt a fly. But, he sees that monster Winchester and suddenly he becomes a patient. You had to be involved, who is that guy? What the hell did Winchester do to him, and what does he know about Winchester that he doesn't want anyone else to find out? Answer me!" he demanded furiously.

Meg glowered at him.

"Believe me, Dean didn't do anything to Emmanuel. In fact, Emmanuel is not a good guy at all, he's a mass murderer and damn near killed the patient who was next door before him with what he did to him. Dean and his brother are the good ones, they've been framed. Emmanuel is dangerous, he hurt Sam badly, and Dean brought him here to try and fix what it was he had done." Meg explained coldly, and Randolph laughed.

"You expect me to believe that? Now tell the truth! That Winchester was here, you're working with him, and you're going to tell me what is going on or I'm going to call the police." He vowed darkly, and Meg grabbed him by the neck, and wrenched it, shattering it and letting his body drop to the floor beside the bed of the patient.

"Oh Lionel, you bad boy, did you not take your medicine? You've gone and killed another guard you naughty thing." She said, straightening her dress, and then began to scream, to bring others running.

Who would have thought she would ever see the day when she was covering for a Winchester? Growling, she realised she had to get out of here. With everyone looking for Dean and Sam, some people, like Randolph, would begin to look at her, treating her with suspicion, and with what she had planned for Castiel, she couldn't let that happen.

Grumbling to herself, she realised what this meant.

She was going to have to go and help Sam and Dean. Again.

Her life really did suck at times.

XX

"You lost them?" Roman demanded coldly, and Valente gulped.

"Um, yes sir, but they were involved in a car crash and are being taken to a hospital, where we have people waiting. I will be there soon, and then, I will deal with the Winchesters once and for all." He assured his master, and he heard Roman's impatient sigh.

"Be careful that you do. Otherwise, next time I see you, I may feel the need to bib you." He snapped, and the phone hung up, leaving Valente looking pale.

He didn't want to eat himself, he didn't want to die.

"You ok?" Charlie asked, as they stood at the side of the road, waiting for the police to come and pick them up.

"I will be. And you had better not fail again. My boss isn't very happy we let them get away. So if we lose them again, I will kill you before I kill myself. Clear?" he growled, and Charlie nodded, his arm pressed to his shoulder, still throbbing from the bullet Marion had put in him.

Marion had clearly gone dark. He had sided with a murderer, the man who had murdered his brother. How could Marion do this? He had always been a career officer, and now he was rubbing shoulders with a known criminal, helping him to escape from police custody not once but twice. Charlie shook his head. Dean must have something on Marion, something that had made the sheriff take his side, probably against his better judgement. Yet another crime that he would make Dean pay for, for corrupting a damn good officer.

Charlie frowned as he considered the continued existence of Sam. It was totally amazing, that was true. He had been dead, and now he was suddenly alive again. And he knew his brother had killed his. That made him just as guilty as his brother. And better than anyone, Charlie knew how it felt to lose a brother. He would be doing Sam a favour if he killed him after he killed Dean, he was sure of it.

But he was also sure that Valente would go through with his threat if they lost the Winchesters again. The Leviathan seemed scared of whoever had been on the phone, and Charlie had a feeling he intended to kill him anyway, and he couldn't allow that. He wanted Valente dead too, and now that he knew what had happened to his brother, he had no reason to stick around. He wanted revenge for his brother, and revenge for his colleagues.

And there were other FBI agents chasing the Winchesters. Perhaps they could protect him. He lapsed into silence as he began to consider his defection from team Valente.

XX

Gordon smiled as he heard the report on the radio, that the murdered Dean Winchester was currently headed for Seattle Grace hospital. The Winchesters were wounded, trapped, with nowhere left to run. He would finally be able to finish what he had started all that time ago, the extermination of Sam Winchester before he doomed the world with any more of his actions.

"You heard the radio guys, let's get to hospital. We have a patient to go and see." He said in delight, his eyes flashing back.

Sam would soon be in his grasp.

XX

"Order the local police to detain them, but do not engage the Winchesters. We are just arriving in Seattle, and we will take ownership of the suspects upon arrival." Reynolds barked down the telephone, receiving a confirmation in reply.

A stroke of luck, the accident that had delivered the Winchesters to them. They wouldn't escape this time.

"Sir, will we need the heavy weapons?" Hurst asked, and he shook his head.

"The boys and their accomplices have been in a car accident, and according to our information, Sam Winchester is on death's door. I think we ought to be fine with handhelds. We will meet with agent Valente upon arrival. Prepare yourselves boys, we're about to bring down the most wanted men in America." He said with a grim smile as they sped through the city.

XX

Gordon's employer smiled smugly. The Winchesters were trapped in a hospital, unable to escape. This was brilliant, they were trapped, with no way out whatsoever, and if the reports that continued to come over the radio were anything to go by, Sam was in critical condition.

Which suited her perfectly. She didn't want Sam awake when she found him. That wouldn't be nearly as fun.

"Head for the hospital." She said, and her driver nodded mutely, as she pulled a small vial of blood from the fridge within the limo.

She had to be at her best to see the Winchesters.

After all, she owed them.

A death.

XX

"The Winchesters are trapped in a hospital." One of the retainers, Mary, reported.

"We will lie in wait." He ordered, and Apronia, his other female retainer, looked at him sceptically.

"Forgive me, but wouldn't we be better attacking them now? They can't defend against us."

He shook his head, smiling darkly.

"Yes, but if we attack now, we won't be able to get rid of everyone else who is after them. I've waited too long for this, I will not mess it up." He said firmly, and both females bowed, as did Owen.

"Problem Aimo?" he asked, and the young man shook his head and bowed also.

"Good. Prepare yourselves. We will strike soon."

XX

Jody felt like hell as she awoke, and she critically ran an eye down her right hand side, seeing both her leg and her arm in plaster, feeling plasters on her face, and also felt all the bruises she had sustained, and immediately wanted to go back to sleep.

"Right, that's the last time I let Marion drive." She grumbled, sitting up in bed, and looking around the hospital room that she was in, alone.

She didn't know where the others were, if they were alright. Sam had been in a bad enough state even before the crash, she didn't want to think how bad a mess he could be in now. And she didn't even know if the others had survived, she could only remember the truck slamming into their car and sending them hurtling down the hill. Marion, Dean and Sam could all be dead, and she would be none the wiser.

And if they were alive, they were still in considerable danger. With everyone chasing after Dean, if they were now in the hospital, she could safely say the cat was out of the bag, and with such a big story, the capture of the most wanted man in America, she would be surprised if everyone wasn't converging on the hospital right now, including Leviathans. This was all her fault, if she had sliced Valente's head off properly, none of this would have happened.

And now she was stuck in hospital, wounded, possibly sharing the building with Leviathans, not knowing what had happened to the others, and with no way out.

And hence, she was incredibly relieved when Bobby flickered to life in front of her.

"Bobby, thank god." She croaked, and he smiled fondly at her.

"I'm glad you're alright. We have problems." He said, and she arced an eyebrow.

"You do surprise me. How are the others?" she asked, and he frowned.

"Marion is mostly fine, he's down in outpatients, he had a chunk out of his head and a sprained ankle, that was about it. You are in a state, and Dean's slightly better off than you, the bags, which are over there," he said, pointing to the duffels belonging to the boys, her and Marion, "because Dean insisted you keep them, protected him from most of the crash. But Sam isn't good. He's in for an MRI scan, they aren't telling Dean anything, he still has an awful fever, and worse, Dean is under house arrest." Bobby said grimly, and she looked at him blankly.

"I leave you boys alone for five minutes and look what happens, everything's gone to pot!" she scolded, and she looked warily out at the dimly lit corridors.

"Are there big mouths here?" she asked, and he shrugged.

"We don't know. I'm going to project to Marion, get him up here to you. Because if big mouths show up, we're going to need to get out of here, sharpish. Here." He said, and brought the duffels over to her, leaning them on the bed.

"Right, check all the weapons are here, phones, clothes, and flask, while you find Marion, then we find Dean, get Sam and get the hell out of here. One step ahead of you." She said briskly, and he nodded, once more lamenting his death.

She was a fine woman.

He flickered out, intent on finding Marion.

XX

"Well hello again." A strangely familiar voice said as Dean woke once more from his fitful sleep, and was met with the face of Dr Cox, the kindly, bespectacled doctor who had treated Sam in Dillimore.

"Dr Cox? What are you doing here?" he asked in surprise, and Cox smiled.

"Earning a living. Not long after you boys left Dillimore, I was approved for a transfer here. And then, all of a sudden, the news is full with stories about you being a mass murderer and being wanted for the murder of your brother." He said, his eyes searching Dean.

"It wasn't me!" Dean barked earnestly, and he nodded.

"I didn't think it was, especially when you were accused of murdering your brother, considering how close you seemed back in Dillimore. But, insane mass murderer or not, you're in pain and need a doctor, so here I am." He said, and Dean immediately sat up, regretting it as his neck panged.

"Ah!" Dean exclaimed weakly, clutching his neck, and Cox forced him back down onto the bed.

"Take it easy. I've patched up your lacerations, and set your ankle, you've fractured it, but the whiplash I'm afraid you will just have to put up with." He counselled, and Dean shook his head.

"Never mind me, what about Sam? Is he alright? Where is he?" Dean asked quickly, his voice high with panic.

Cox frowned grimly.

"I suppose you are his next of kin so I ought to tell you. Sam is very lucky to be alive. In fact, that car crash probably saved his life." He said, and Dean looked at him in confusion.

"How do you figure that? He had a bad fever, and he had a seizure, he stopped breathing, he was really tired..." Dean rambled, and Cox held up a hand to stem the flow of information.

"We know. Your brother had a blood clot on the left hand side of his head, at the front of his brain, caused by repeated blows there. I can't help but feel responsible, I was the one caring for Sam in Dillimore, I saw it and gave him drugs to dispel it, it was very small back then, but it looks as though the drugs didn't work, and he just got steadily worse. The blood clot was very severe, it made him incredibly ill, that was the reason for the fever and the seizure, he was about to die when you crashed. The impact fractured his skull, and allowed a lot of the blood clot to lessen in size and swelling, that was why it appeared he had lost so much blood, the clot had burst. He's in for an MRI scan now, but we're confident that he'll be alright now." Cox said kindly, and Dean shook in fear.

A silent killer. Something Dean wouldn't have been able to fight against. Both he and Sam had assumed that his headache was a response from the beating they had received in New Orleans, not that it was anything more serious and sinister. But despite that, the clot had very nearly killed Sam. He had nearly lost his brother again, and he wouldn't have been able to do anything about it. Dean suddenly felt tears in his eyes as he thought of waking up one morning, and finding his brother cold and dead on the bed beside him, not a mark on him, and he shivered in fear at the thought. Sam was lucky to have survived. Yet again he had damn nearly died, and he hadn't been any the wiser.

"Wait, you saw the blood clot in Dillimore?" he asked in a scared, shaking voice, and Cox nodded.

"It was small back then, and you mentioned that he had sustained a severe wound to the head a few months before then. But I'm led to believe that any blow to that area of the head, no matter how small, would have simply made the matter worse, and after you left Dillimore I had no way of contacting you. I truly am sorry, I assumed the drugs I gave him would disperse it." He said grimly, but Dean wasn't listening.

The blow had first been caused by Edgar, slamming a metal pipe into Sam's head. Then, a few weeks later, Dean had stupidly hit him in the same place when Sam had upped and left, and it wasn't until afterwards that he realised just how stupid he had been to hit his brother in the same place where he had recently sustained a serious head injury. He had hit him in the same place during his drunken attack in Dillimore. Walt and Roy had hit him in the same place too. And then of course, when he was a zombie, Dean had hit him once more in the same place, and he shuddered. It was him. Him again. Once again, he had nearly killed his little brother, and he hadn't even realised he was doing it. It was him. He had almost killed Sam again, he had almost killed Sammy, his Sammy, he had done it again, he had almost killed Sammy!

Cox must have seen that Dean was about to hurl and had quickly got the sick bucket under him as he retched, emptying his stomach of the little contents it held, and Dean laid back, weak and shaking, the thought of his cold, dead brother haunting him once more.

"Sammy...will he be alright?" Dean asked weakly, and Cox nodded kindly.

"Yes he will be I think, I'm monitoring his situation, but once he gets out of the MRI we'll know exactly how much damage has been done, what we need to do, but considering how much blood he lost, I shouldn't be surprised if your brother will be back with you in a few days. I suppose you'll want to be put in the same room?" Cox asked, and Dean shook his head.

"No doc, because we won't be here, we need to get out of here. The authorities think I did kill all those people, and they're not going to believe otherwise. We need to get out of here, believe me." Dean said anxiously, and Cox shook his head.

"Dean, you know full well you aren't in much of a state to go anywhere, you have whiplash and will barely be able to walk, neither will your lady friend if you're thinking of taking her with you, and your brother frankly cannot travel anywhere and is still unconscious. And I don't care if the President himself wants you, you aren't leaving this hospital until I am satisfied." He said sternly, and Dean shook his head, and then narrowed his eyes suspiciously at Cox, who looked at him warily.

"Have you got a pen?" Dean asked, and Cox offered him one.

Dean took off the lid, and then savagely jabbed the pen down into Cox's hand, making the doctor howl at the unexpected pain.

"Ow! What the bloody hell did you do that for?" Cox demanded angrily, as red blood leaked out of the wound, and Dean breathed a sigh of relief.

"Oh thank god, you're human." He said, and Cox looked at Dean as if he were crazy.

"Huh? Of course I'm human. Maybe I should check your head again, I felt a few old bumps, maybe..." Cox said, fearing his patient was having a breakdown, but Dean forced him off.

"Listen doc, I'm willing to be that people in this hospital aren't human. Some of them will bleed black, and if an FBI agent by the name of Valente shows up, he'll also bleed black. Trust me. And if they're already here, these black blooded things, Leviathans, will be after me, Jody, Marion and Sam, and with Sam and Jody banged up as they are, and I'm not exactly a great fighter at the moment, we'll be sitting ducks. Check your records, find out if anyone vanished or died when they shouldn't have, you'll see what I mean." Dean said, and Cox nodded kindly, patting his shoulder.

"I'll do that. Now, you take this and have a nice rest." He said kindly, and ignoring Dean's protests, he injected Dean with a sedative and he drifted off at once.

"Poor kid's gone crazy." Cox said as he left the room.

But he couldn't help but feel that Dean had been telling the truth as far as knew it. Or that there had been strange deaths in the hospital recently. Ignoring it, he headed for his office.

XX

Jody had satisfied herself that everything was all present and correct, and was even happier to report that all the weapons were alright, as were the boys phones, when Marion hobbled in, stitches in his head, and looking immensely relieved to see her.

"Jody, thank god you're alright." He said, clasping her hand, as Bobby flickered to life beside them.

"Good, you found her. Now, all we need to do is find the boys and get the hell out of here." Bobby said, and Jody nodded.

"Too true, I don't want to end up a Leviathans appetiser. Get me a wheelchair, I don't think I can walk." She said, and Marion hobbled out and came back with one a few minutes later, followed by a young nurse.

"Sir, Miss Mills is in no fit state to go anywhere, please, let me take the chair." She said patiently, and Jody shook her head.

"Kid, I'm sorry, but I've got to get out of here." Jody said, and the small nurse shook her head.

"I'm sorry miss, but the police have said that you aren't to leave the hospital until they've questioned you. You came in with that Dean Winchester, the most wanted man in America, and they want answers. I can't let you leave. Besides, you're in too much pain to go anywhere." She protested, and Marion shook his head.

"Girly, listen to me. Dean didn't do it, and the people chasing us, they don't really care that much about the law, they just want all of us dead. There are nasty, powerful people coming for us, and we need to get out of here before they catch up to us." He said, and she shook her head.

"No, please you don't understand, the police will know you were kidnapped, you aren't in any trouble..." she assured them, but Jody shook her head.

"Kid, the police aren't the ones bothering us. We weren't kidnapped, but if we don't get the hell out of here, we won't survive." She intoned, and the nurse once more stubbornly shook her head.

"But you will, you aren't going to die Miss Mills, I know you had a shock, but I must insist you stay in bed." She said, coming over and blocking Marion as he turned the wheelchair to exit the door.

"What's going on here?" a severe, tight voice asked, and a governess like woman strolled in, her eyes narrowed, and Jody immediately got the shivers as she looked at her.

"Nurse Featherstone, Miss Mills is insisting on leaving, she thinks there's something after her that wants to kill her, perhaps we should send her for an MRI scan?" the little nurse asked worriedly, eyeing Jody, who was staring, along with Marion and Bobby, at the nurse.

"Yes, we should. Why don't you go and organise it?" she asked curtly, and the small nurse left the room, and Featherstone smiled at them.

"We didn't think the Winchesters had any friends left. That was silly of us. But don't worry, you'll join all their other friends soon enough." She spat hatefully, rearing her head back and revealing her Leviathan form, giving a roar as she did so, and Jody screamed, as Marion went for his gun.

But Bobby got there first, grabbing a knife and slicing Featherstone's head off, sending black blood spurting over the covers while her body and head collapsed to the floor, oozing black goo.

"Well, time to go I think." Marion said, shouldering his and Jody's duffels, placing Sam and Dean's on the handles of the chair, and then helping Jody, wincing in pain as he did so, into the chair before giving her the weapons duffel to hold.

"You good?" Marion asked, and as she tucked Bobby's flash down the front of her gown, she nodded.

"Yeah. Get us out of here." She said, pointedly ignoring the delighted look on Bobby's face, and once the ghost had checked the coast was clear, Marion wheeled her out and they dashed up the corridor.

XX

Cox couldn't get the conversation with Dean out of his head. He couldn't help but believe the boy was innocent, but these Leviathans he mentioned seemed to have him scared witless, and it crossed him that Dean didn't scare easily, unless of course it concerned his little brother.

And try as he might, he couldn't help but remember strange deaths of apparently healthy people, and some missing bodies on a few of the wards. But what Dean was saying was impossible. No one had black blood, and if they did, there had to be a genuine medical reason.

But Dean had been relieved when he saw that Cox had red blood. Perhaps the boy was trapped in an illusion, was trying to fob off the FBI by pleading insanity. But it didn't matter, as it seemed to him that there was no way Dean would be a mass murderer. He might be a killer, especially if his little brother, who he seemed to depend on utterly, was in danger, but otherwise he seemed perfectly normal.

Aside from his fantasy about things with black blood called Leviathans that apparently ate people's organs.

Cox frowned as he went down the morgue corridor. Perhaps it was the strain of the crash and the state of his brother, perhaps Dean was retreating into a fantasy world that made it easier to deal with. But, considering he had every confidence Sam would be fine, it didn't make any sense, even if Dean was incredibly co-dependent on his little brother.

These thoughts chasing around his head, he couldn't quite muster enough strength to dispel the horrible feeling that Dean, however crazy it sounded, might be on to something. He hadn't slept enough, that was all. He had...

A noise roused him from his thoughts, a sort of braying noise, and curious, Cox poked his head around the side of the window that showed the morgue.

And he saw Dr Kelso and Dr Braff, two men he had come to view as friends, their heads tipped back, massive jaws encompassing their face and bifurcated tongues lashing, plunge their heads down into a fresh corpse.

Cox gasped at the sight, and hid behind the wall, his heart hammering as he heard the braying stop, and his heart thudded quicker and quicker as he heard soft, purposeful footsteps approaching the morgue door.

Cox turned and ran, speeding up the dim corridor.

Dean Winchester perhaps wasn't as crazy as he had thought. Doctors were monsters, and were eating people. Cox was terrified, and he took a look back, and saw the form of Dr Braff framed in the dimness of the corridor, and he slammed the elevator door open, and Braff was stalking towards the door, his massive jaws and tongue showing as he approached.

"Come on, come on!" Cox pleaded as Braff began to pick up speed, getting ever closer.

And just when he was a third of the corridor away from the lift, the doors shut, and Cox breathed a sigh of relief as he headed upwards.

Dean seemed to know that something was eating people. And now, his patient could be his only hope.

XX

Dean awoke to find a handsome young man with dark blond slicked back hair smiling predatorily down at him.

"Where's Dr Cox?" Dean demanded worriedly, fearing he knew full well what this guy was.

"Detained. I'm responsible for your care now. Don't worry...it won't hurt." He purred, and latched his hand around Dean's neck, and began to squeeze.

Dean gagged in surprise, raising his hands to try and pull it off, but the grip on his neck was too powerful, and his body was far too tired to offer much of a fight. Dean began to kick his legs desperately, throwing his covers off his gowned body, gagging as he did so, his eyes fluttering and beginning to roll as he lost air.

He had to get free, had to make sure Sammy was alright...

The doctor reared his head back, showing his maw of teeth and dangerous tongue, when the head came flying off, black blood showering the wall, and the body releasing the hold on Dean's neck as it fell to the floor.

Dean took a relieved gasp of air, and looked up in relief as the small, brown haired hunter Garth smiled down at him.

"Hi Dean. Looks like you're in a bit of trouble. Care for a hand?" he asked, and Dean nodded.

"You have no idea how good it is to see you Garth. We need to get out of here, the police,"

"Are already on their way. But I'd rather take chances with them than the doctors here you know, considering so many seem to be Leviathans. Leave this to me!" Garth said brightly, and before Dean could say anything else, he had gone, leaving Dean slightly put out, just as Dr Cox entered the room and saw the headless corpse on the floor.

"Oh my god! Dr Villar too!" he exclaimed in horror, and Dean looked at him in concern.

"Too? Someone else is dead?" Dean asked, and Cox shook his head.

"No, I saw monsters, with big teeth and tongues, and they roared, and were eating people, and he has black blood like you said, and what the hell is going on?" Cox demanded as Garth entered the room with a wheelchair.

"Hi. Garth. Don't mind the body on the floor, it's just a Leviathan, and its not really dead, it'll put its head back on eventually. And I need to get Dean out of here, so could you please get out the way, I don't really want to run the chair through the black blood." He said kindly, clapping the doctor's shoulder, and he sat at the end of the bed, looking faint.

"Hate to say I told you so doc, but..." Dean said, grunting in pain as Garth helped him into the chair.

"What the hell is going on? These monsters..."

"Are the ones who really killed all the people I'm accused of killing, and are going to kill me, Sam, Jody and Marion unless we get the hell out of here. They know you know about them now, so you probably better come with us. You ok with that?" Dean asked, and Cox nodded.

"Yes, I think so. These things, what do we do? You said they put their heads back on?" he demanded weakly, and Garth nodded.

"Nasty buggers. If you still have problems, Mr Fizzles will talk to you about them later. For now, we need to blaze. Come on!" Garth said, arming his gun and passing the knife to Dean, and they left the room, Cox hurrying along in their wake.

"We need to find Sam and Jody." Dean said, and turned and stabbed Garth lightly with the knife, and relaxed when he drew red blood.

"Ow! Dude! I'm saving your ass here!" Garth protested, and Dean shrugged.

"Sorry. Don't worry, already checked the doc here. Can you get us to Sam?" he asked, and Cox nodded, seeming to be calming down.

"Yes. Um, seeing as they know about me knowing about them, what do I do?" he asked weakly.

"You need to come with us doc, but we can't make any promises, you might still get killed, but at least you have a fighting chance." Dean said as they turned down into the main corridor.

Cox nodded, and yelled for them to stop a little bit further down the corridor.

"Can you give me five minutes?" he asked, and darted into a medicine store, earning him surprised looks from the two hunters.

"What are you doing?" Dean yelled.

"Well, if I'm about to have to run for my life with you guys, you might as well have a competent doctor who knows what he's doing along with you. I'm getting supplies of medicines for you." He called back, filling his bag with tablets, medicines, bandages, disinfectant, some Prozac for good measure and anything else he thought might be useful.

"Hmm, cool, never had a doctor in our pocket before." Dean commented, worry for Sam filling him, and then Garth raised his hand to signal silence, and advanced forwards, readying his gun, ready to jump round the corner and start shooting.

Someone was coming, it sounded like someone on wheels, and someone hobbling, and Cox came out of the store and stood behind Dean's chair, hanging a rucksack full of medicines onto the back of the chair as he looked ahead, his face pale, while Dean tensed, and Garth prepared himself.

And then, Garth sighed in relief and lowered his gun.

"It's Bobby." He said in relief, and Dean smiled as Bobby appeared around the corner, with Marion pushing a worse for wear Jody in a chair, and she smiled in relief as she saw him, their duffels hanging off the back of her chair.

"Boy am I glad to see you. Why the hell is this hospital so dark?" Marion asked, clapping Dean's hand as they came alongside him.

"Cost cutting. You in on this too?" Cox asked wearily, and they nodded.

"Sadly. We've got Leviathans, some scary looking nurse got a lot scarier when she started to roar." Jody said and Cox looked pale again.

"We sliced her. How's Sam?" Bobby asked, and Dean indicated Cox.

"He reckons he'll be fine. But he won't be if we don't get out of here, Cox saw two big mouths, Garth sliced another one, and with yours that's at least four, and if Valente shows up, we aren't getting away from here. Marion, you ok to push Jody?" Dean asked, wincing in pain as his whiplash flared up, and the other man nodded.

"Yeah I am. Doc, you ok to push Dean? Only I reckon this dude with the gun might be better in a pinch." Marion said, and Cox nodded.

"Course. Pass me a bag or two, lighten your load, all I have is medicines." He said, and Marion gave him Sam and Dean's duffels.

"Alright, we're not getting any younger, and the bad guys we sliced are probably even now putting themselves back together. And there might be some after Sam, and Dean will mope if anything happens to him. Let's go." Garth said, taking charge and led their strange convoy, on Cox's orders, towards the lift, ignoring the irritated look Dean sent him as he did so.

XX

The nurse smiled kindly as she put the results of Sam's MRI scan into his folder at the bottom of the bed. The crash had done more good than harm as far as the clot was concerned, and if he kept taking the drugs, he would be fine. His wrist was sprained, and he had abrasions on his face, but his fever was reducing and aside from that and the blood clot, he was fine.

"I'll take him from here nurse." An orderly said, smiling down at her.

She nodded and smiled, and left him with Sam.

The orderly smiled down at Sam.

"So attractive, so tasty..." he said, rearing his head back, and then gagged as his head came flying off.

"Good shot Garth." Dean complimented, relieved they had reached his brother just in time as they all entered the room.

Dean ran a critical eye over his brother. He was still very pale, but his temperature felt a lot more normal as Dean touched his hand to his forehead. Sam was lying unconscious on his gurney, his head facing the right, and Dean gently stroked his fingers through his brother's hair. Sam was alive, he was going to be alright.

Well, if they got out of here that was.

"Alright, how do we get out of here doc?" Bobby asked, and Cox looked at him queasily, apparently doctors didn't take the news that ghosts existed well.

"There's a lift at the end of the corridor, it will take us down to the ambulance ready bay and the car park. Let's go." He said, and Bobby began pushing Sam, making Cox looking even more faint as Garth once more led the way.

They made good progress down the corridor, Dean's eyes never leaving his baby brother, revelling in the rise and fall of his chest. He was alright, Sam was alright. The police hadn't moved in yet, and they were about to make their escape, and they hadn't met anyone inclined to stop them. Dean looked at how pale Sam's unconscious form seemed and wanted nothing more than to reach out to his brother and assure himself he was fine, but he couldn't, it would slow them down.

However, as soon as they were in the lift and headed down, he stroked Sam's hair soothingly, though Sam gave no indication he felt it as he remained stubbornly unconscious.

"Come on Sammy, I could do with you awake." Dean whispered.

"Best to let him sleep, he'll recover better." Cox advised, as the lift arrived at the floor, a circular room branching off in different directions.

"Right, we need a way out of here that will take us all because I don't think I'm up to driving." Marion said, and Jody smiled a little despite the pain she was in.

"Good, I'm not getting in any car you're driving again." She said, and he glowered down at her as they left the lift.

Cox looked down the corridor, down to the basement and the morgue, and froze.

Three figures were standing there, two dressed in the white coats of doctors, and the other in a business suit.

"Dean..." he said in a scared voice, and Dean stopped stroking his brother's hair and indicated Bobby to move Sam out of harm's way as the three figures started approaching at a slow pace, as if they had all the time in the world.

"Who are the other two?" Dean asked, and Cox gulped.

"Kelso and Braff. The Leviathans." He said worriedly, and Dean felt panic grow inside him as he saw the third figure, advancing on them in a smug, assured, predatory fashion.

It was Valente.

"I hope you weren't planning on leaving without saying goodbye." Valente said, grinning sadistically as the three Leviathans walked up the corridor.

"We need to run for it." Garth said, aiming his gun at the three, just as the door to the stairs banged open and Charlie, backed up by several men in FBI marked vests, entered, their guns raised.

"Stay where you are! Dean Winchester, you are under arrest for mass murder." Reynolds said grimly, pointing his gun straight at Dean.

"And the murder of my brother." Charlie spat, having slipped away from Valente and found proper members of the FBI entering the car park, and upon hearing of the escape, had led them down here.

"Valente." Reynolds greeted with a nod, and Valente grimaced a little. He hadn't wanted witnesses.

"Reynolds." He said grimly as they continued to advance towards the group.

The doors to the car park rattled, and then seven people walked into the dimly lit, slightly green corridor, black eyes wide and teeth bared.

"Dean...what the hell are they?" Jody asked in a scared voice, but Dean didn't answer as a man in a red shirt prowled into the corridor, his dark skin glinting, his black eyes hungry, his teeth bared.

"Oh my god..." Dean whispered in shock as he saw the man who had tried to murder his brother.

"Hello Dean. Miss your old buddy Gordon?" the vampire asked, and Jody opened the bag, and Garth immediately grabbed a long knife.

"Impossible..." Dean said in shock, not wanting to believe that Cas had set that blood thirsty maniac free as well.

"They're vampires." Bobby said grimly, in response to Marion's worried look, and the group huddled together.

"Vampires? There's no such thing. Sir, I must insist you stay back." Reynolds said, pointing his gun at Gordon, who laughed darkly.

"Oh no...I've waited too long for this. Sam Winchester is mine." He said, licking his lips while his back up prepared to pounce.

There was then a horrible growling from the maintenance area, and Dean's blood went cold, and despite himself, he reached for Sam's unknowing hand. That noise still froze his blood, struck fear into him. It was the last thing he had heard, other than his brother's screams and tears, and the laughter of Ruby's body before he had been ripped to shreds.

By hellhounds.

"What is that?" Gordon demanded, and he, Charlie, Reynolds and the Leviathans all looked to the maintenance area door as they banged open, and the growling and snapping got louder, and two men, both dressed in suits and caps, walked in, their eyes black.

"Hellhounds..." Dean said, his voice trembling, and then a voice cut across the room from the bay.

"Yes Dean. Hellhounds. They're so eager to taste you again." A woman's voice said, and a beautiful blond woman entered the room, dressed in a fur white jacket, her long hair travelling to her shoulders, and Dean's stomach went cold as he beheld her.

"Who are you? Madam, this is an arrest of a dangerous criminal." Reynolds said, and she snorted derisively.

"Good work Gordon. You found them for me. You will be amply rewarded." She said, and Gordon realised she was his employer.

"All I want it to kill Sam." He snarled, and she glared at him.

"That is my job vampire. He belongs to me." She said darkly, looking at Sam.

"Leave him alone." Dean ground out, and she smiled.

"You don't recognise me do you Dean? I don't blame you, you were more occupied with Ruby and the imminent freeing of Lucifer to worry much about me. Perhaps this will refresh your memory." She said, and her eyes went pure white, and Dean shuddered in fear.

There was only one person this could be. Only one.

Lilith.

"Dean, who is that?" Garth demanded, his gun now pointing at her as the Leviathans came to a stop near them, and the vampires, demons and cops all edged forwards.

"Lilith." Dean said, and she smiled in response.

"Impossible..." Bobby breathed, pulling Sam further back, knowing if they all attacked, it wouldn't do a thing to stop Lilith or her hellhounds, which to him were now the worst problem.

"Think Alpha for demons." Lilith advised excitedly to Garth, who went pale.

There was then a rustling, and four people stood in front of the ambulance bay itself, glaring at Lilith, who immediately looked at them in excitement, and the Leviathans wrinkled their nose in disgust, and the FBI forces looked at each other, terrified, and began pointing weapons at all the other parties.

"We cannot allow you to hurt the Winchesters." A woman with an elegant black bun said sharply, and Lilith sneered.

"You do not order me angel." She spat.

"We can't. But another can." One of the male angels said, and the entire floor began to shake, and Dean looked at Bobby in alarm.

It couldn't be. They were dead, or imprisoned. The entire room was shaking, the shaking increasing by the second, and the Leviathans were looking up hungrily, Lilith was looking up excitedly, the cops were looking on in fear and the vampires were looking at each other nervously.

"No, it can't be..." Dean said stubbornly as light filled the corridor, hurting his eyes and making the vampires and black eyed demons back off a bit.

There was then a high pitched noise that made them all grab their heads in pain, and the Leviathans roared, and Lilith hissed in pain and annoyance as the pitch got louder and louder.

"Ow! What the hell is that?" Jody cried over the din, as electricity began bouncing through the corridor, coalescing in the centre of the formation of the four angels, blue lightning shooting into the position, the pitch high and screeching, the light near blinding, the shuddering creating cracks in the walls.

And then abruptly it was over, as a dark skinned man with bright white eyes, dressed in a black suit appeared in the centre of the angel formation.

"Oh no..." Bobby said weakly, realising just how screwed they truly were.

"Raphael!" Dean exclaimed in horror as the archangel smiled.

"Hello Dean." He said in his deep voice, and the entire group looked at each other in fear, and they backed closer to the lift doors as the others present advanced.

Angels, led by an archangel who was meant to be dead. Demons, led by one of the most vicious, bloodthirsty and powerful demons they had ever met. Vampires, led by a man who detested Sam and thought he was a monster and had lost his life trying to kill him. Humans, who believed Dean was a vicious mass murderer and Sam was his accomplice. And Leviathans, creatures from before time began, which scared every other being in the room.

And Dean, Sam, Bobby, Garth, Marion, Jody and Cox were smack bang in the middle of a roomful of people who wanted to kill them.

They were done for.

**Well, I told you things were bad for the boys and they had every villain in the place after them! Angels, Demons, Leviathans, Vampires and humans, and there's still another group to come!**

**Cas has a lot to answer for doesnt he? The siren was bad enough, Zachariah was even worse, but he's set loose Gordon and Lilith! And just how did Raphael escape, considering it was with the souls of Purgatory he was destroyed? That will be revealed next chapter before our big smack down!  
**

**So our friends for the moment are assembled, we meet a couple more next chapter, if the boys manage to survive this one.  
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**Speaking of the boys, Sam came very close to dying. I'm sorry if it isnt entirely accurate as to what happens with a blood clot with the fever and seizure, but I did intend for the blood clot to develop for all the reasons Dean mentioned (I was annoyed at him for hitting Sam when he went off to hunt Amy), so i hope i got it right!  
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**Bonus points if you get the references in this chapter, three of the new Leviathans are references, as is the hospital, and the doctor is also a reference too.  
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**Anyway, that's us for tonight, hopefully we will see more tomorrow.  
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**So, as always, please read and leave lots of reviews, I thoroughly enjoy reading them! And if you havent already, please vote in the poll!  
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	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural**

Bleeding Storm

Dean looked desperately at Sam as the various groups pushed them back towards the elevator, but his brother was still unresponsive, still out cold.

"Sammy, come on, I need you..." Dean pleaded, but received no response.

"Will you all please step back? This is an FBI arrest. Valente, a little help!" Reynolds said in irritation, but his eyes were on the others, and that snarling was making him nervous.

"Oh he isn't going to help you human. He has bigger fish to fry." Kelso said, looking hungrily at Lilith, who sneered.

"Please. I've killed you geriatrics before, I can do it again." She said coldly, and Raphael smiled as he turned to Dean, who had raised his hand as if to soothe Jody, who was looking around at the assembled enemies in fear. In reality, he had sliced his hand and was quickly sketching an angel banishing sigil on the back of her wheelchair.

"It's been some time Dean." He said with a tight smile, and Dean glowered at the archangel.

"How the hell are you alive? Cas killed you after he absorbed the souls, which is how him and her got out," he said, pointing at Gordon and Lilith, "so how the hell did you get out?" he demanded, drawing the circle, and Raphael smiled smugly.

"You know, Purgatory was quite a lonely place for me Dean. Not a soul there. But when dear sweet Castiel opened the door to put all those souls back, well, I figured my time was already up, and so I returned. Now, Dean, while I do want you and your brother, I need you for my plans, I won't have it said that angels don't settle their scores. Where is Castiel?" he asked, and Dean hesitated slightly.

No one but him, Sam, Bobby and Meg knew Cas was alive, and if they didn't want half of creation coming after the traitor, it had to remain that way.

"Dead. His body was destroyed because he took in so many souls." Dean said, which was slightly true, but Valente then interjected.

"Actually, Castiel is alive. His body disappeared at the last minute. So this ponce is actually right about Castiel being alive, no idea where he is though." Valente said with a delighted smile, and Raphael raised an eyebrow.

"So where is he Dean? Be warned, defy me and your little brother's brain clot will be the least of your worries." he said darkly, and his goons formed a circle around him, protecting him from the others, and Valente snarled.

"Actually you arrogant little nancy boy, the Winchesters belong to us." He said, and Reynolds nodded, aiming his gun at Raphael.

"Exaclty. Agent Valente is right, the Winchesters and all their friends are coming with us. Now, I don't know what the hell is going on here with your talk of vampires and other things that don't exist, but the Winchesters are coming with us. Now." He said, and Raphael turned, his eyes flashing, making the entire room rock.

"You have no idea how insignificant you are, you dripping little globule of snot. There is nothing you can do to stop me taking the Winchesters. They have information on the whereabouts of the angel Castiel, who I owe for all he has done, for the humiliation he placed upon me. These bottom feeders, leeches and senile old fools are not going to stop me taking those two boys, and neither are you. Observe." Raphael said darkly, and twitched a finger at the man beside Reynolds, and he promptly blew up, splattering blood and meat everywhere.

"Oh my god!" one of the men yelled as the others screamed in shock.

"Silence!" Raphael barked, and abruptly they all went quiet as he held their throats in a telekinetic grip, all aside from Reynolds.

"My god...what did you do, what the hell are you?" he asked, and Raphael grinned slightly.

"The Harbinger of the End." He said.

"Great. Let me guess, your big plan is to restart the Apocalypse. Ever wonder why it didn't work last time? It's because all of you assholes underestimated us, and you're seriously doing it again if you think we will let you start it a second time." Dean said grimly, as the others all looked on in shock.

"You arrogant little fool. Zachariah may have killed your brother, but I am much more dangerous and powerful. You will come with me, until I free Michael and Lucifer, and until then, you will tell me where Castiel so that I may destroy him. Otherwise, baby brother's head problems may get so large that his head might just go...boom." Raphael threatened, and Dean looked at Sam in panic, fearing what Raphael could do to him with just a thought.

"I don't think so." Gordon said, baring his fangs, while the mute FBI officers looked on in fear.

"Sam belongs to me." Lilith said, and Raphael glowered at her.

"You know you cannot harm me demon."

"No, but we can, and you know it. And the Winchesters are going with us." Valente said, and Reynolds looked at him as he prowled towards Raphael.

"I think you'll find they are coming with me." Lilith spat, her hellhounds howling, smelling an imminent spilling of blood.

"You cannot stop us bottom feeder." Braff sneered, and she smiled sweetly.

"Care to test that theory?" she asked, and the Leviathan faltered a little.

"What the hell is going on here?" Reynolds asked, and Marion looked at him in irritation.

"These boys are involved with the supernatural, and everyone here bar your group is supernatural. We have angels, demons, vampires and Leviathans, all after the boys, and we're right in the middle of it." He said, as the Leviathans hesitated to get too close to Lilith.

"Ridiculous old fools. Scared of this demon? How pathetic." Raphael said, and she smiled sinisterly.

"You ought to be too Raphael." She purred, her eyes beginning to shine, and Dean realised that that was their clue to get out of there.

"Enough of this. Take the Winchesters!" Gordon yelled to his vampires, and they leapt towards the trapped group.

"No!" Lilith and Raphael yelled together, and they were blown back by two blinding white lights, hurtling into the walls, and with Raphael otherwise occupied, his grip on the FBI agents faded.

"Don't just stand there, run!" Reynolds yelled, dashing for the stairway and firing bullets at the vampires as they clambered to their feet.

"Thank you cock suckers." Valente said, as he, Kelso and Braff roared and advanced upon the survivors.

Lilith hissed in fury, her eyes glowing and her hand outstretched. Kelso suddenly gave a pained gasp, falling to his knees. The air started to pulse around him, and Raphael took a step back, shocked by what he was seeing. The demon was actually affecting the Leviathan.

"Holy crap." Bobby said, as Kelso roared in pain as her eyes grew brighter.

And then an explosion of bright white light blasted out of his mouth, firing into the ceiling and sending chunks of the floor above falling down on them all, and the air pulsed one final time as Kelso's body was incinerated, and black goo exploded all over the place.

"Impossible..." Valente said in shock, and she smiled.

"Stop where you are. You too vampires." Raphael warned, looking at Lilith with new found respect, his hand raised to smite anyone who dared interfere.

"Hey, asshat, take this!" Dean hissed as Raphael looked at him, and forced his hand onto the sigil he had drawn, and Raphael and his entourage screamed in frustration as they were banished.

"Let's get out of here!" Bobby yelled, and the entire scene devolved into chaos, as Marion, Garth and Dean began firing guns while Bobby and Cox drove them towards the door to the car park, right towards the vampires.

"That's it boys, come to daddy." Gordon growled, as Valente and Braff advanced upon them.

"Sic them!" Lilith ordered, and the hellhounds gave a roar as they leapt at the vampires, tackling them to the floor, and she hissed as the party dashed right past the flailing vampires towards the door, bullets firing at her and Valente, while Braff dashed through the doors.,

"No! Stop him!" Lilith yelled and the two demons seized the Leviathan, while the vampires began to overpower her hellhounds. Dismissing the threats of her pets, she barged through the doors, only to be grabbed by Valente.

"You're going nowhere bottom feeder." He vowed, and he also exploded in a blaze of white light, sending his decimated headless corpse flying over the room.

Dean watched as she disposed of Valente, and then saw his goo head towards his body. She wasn't strong enough to take down powerful Leviathans, but the rank and file she certainly could deal with.

"Dean we need to get out of here!" Jody cried, as the doors opened and the vampires began to blaze past Lilith, despite her telekinetic attacks against them that sent them spinning over the car park.

The hellhounds followed, their howls filling the car park as they sped across it, despite everyone who could firing wildly, some of them hitting, but it was no good, the hellhounds were getting closer, as was the remaining Leviathan, the vampires were recovering, the demons were heading for their limo to try and block them, and Lilith, her power growing, making the entire air shimmer as she approached, was smiling in cold vicious delight as she approached at a steady pace, her grin widening as she did so.

"Dean!" Garth yelled, firing a round at Lilith, which stopped far short of her, and Dean saw that he was pointing to the only thing that could carry them all.

"You can't escape Dean!" Lilith called tauntingly, as Gordon and his nest headed for the bus that they had come on, which was where the group was heading, their hearts hammering in terror as they ran across the pitch black car park, pursued by nearly every nightmare creature imaginable.

"She's right about that at least Dean." Gordon called, and leapt down onto Sam's bed, his jaws going for Sam's prone throat, and Dean froze in fear, terrified his brother was about to be killed.

He needn't have worried. The air suddenly dropped in temperature, and several windscreens shattered, and with Bobby's help, the glass flew through the air, peppering the vampires with shards of glass and knocking Gordon off the bed as they reached the bus.

Cox turned and saw everything that was following as Garth, Dean and Marion continued to fire.

"Get Sam and Jody on the bus!" Dean barked, and he snapped to it, throwing the bags inside and heaving Sam out of the stretcher, carrying the boy's lanky frame inside the bus, while Jody used her good leg to kick the stretcher towards their approaching foes.

Bobby went behind them, shattering more windows and windscreens, and sent the glass across in a deadly sheet that cleaved through several of Lilith's hellhounds, but he then felt her cold white gaze upon him.

"You foolish dead fool." She snapped, and he could fire wrecking his body as her eyes got brighter.

"Hey, bitch!" Jody cried from the stairway to the bus, and fired a rifle round that caught Lilith straight in the head.

As the demon fell to the floor, and the remaining hellhounds grouped around her, the vampires were once more on their feet, and Braff was getting closer to the group. Marion picked up a small knife from the bag and threw it, and it caught the Leviathan in the neck, making him gag in surprise, and giving him the time he needed to get Dean onto the bus. Bobby then flickered inside as Marion and Garth leapt into the bus, with Cox slamming the door shut behind them.

They didn't have long to breath however, as there were suddenly scraping sounds at the door, accompanied by howls as the hellhounds descended upon the door, trying to rip it open.

"What the hell are those things and why can't we see them?" Cox demanded as he checked Sam and Jody over, Sam lying prone on the bed, his face still pale, and still resting on the side opposite the wound, and Jody wincing in pain as she held her damaged arm.

"They're hellhounds, Lilith's pets. Garth, get us the hell out of here!" Dean snapped, sitting at his brother's head and taking it into his lap, just as there were several thuds on the ceiling.

"We know you're in there Dean, you can't escape us forever!" Gordon boasted, and the vampires hooted in delight, thinking they had succeeded in getting them, when Garth suddenly ignited the engine of the large bus and stepped on the pedal.

The vampires yelped in surprise as they were knocked off the roof, and Garth grinned as he felt the coach bump as they ran over hellhounds.

"Good man, let's get out of here!" Marion said, his own gun ready to go to the window.

Braff then appeared before them, teeth chomping and giving a massive roar. A second later however, a pillar of white light ripped him apart from inside out, and black goo splattered the windscreen, and Garth had to activate the wipers to try and see, and he swore as he saw what was ahead.

Lilith, white eyes pulsing, her eyes furious, blood leaking from the bullet wound that had gone all the way through her head, stood blocking the entrance. She raised a hand and the entire coach shook, unable to progress.

"Shit, she's blocking us!" Garth yelled, the tyres screeching as he was unable to either advance or retreat, held as he was by her powers, and Dean could hear the hellhounds approaching the back of the truck.

Jody then gasped as the vampiric faces of Gordon and some of his friends appeared at the door, and they were trying the door, which Cox had had the foresight to jam.

"We're done for!" Bobby cursed, then struck by an idea, flickered outside.

He concentrated, calling on all his fear and anger, and the air dropped to frigid levels. The hellhounds were still howling, but they were no longer attacking the back of the bus as the cold hit them, and the vampires turned to face the ghost, though Lilith barely spared him a glance.

And Bobby then stretched out his arms, shattering all the windows and glass openings in the car park, and with a furious yell, he sent the glass flying through the pitch black car park, it all slamming into the vampires and hellhounds, sending their bleeding bodies sprawling to the floor, cursing or howling in pain.

"We need to get out of here, now!" Bobby said as he flickered back into the coach, and Marion stuck his head out of the window, watching as shards of glass zoomed past Lilith, slicing her face to ribbons, and he fired, right into the hand that she was directing her powers out of.

She screeched in pain, and abruptly the block was gone, the coach leaping forward. Lilith screamed in fury as the coach slammed into her, spiralling her up into the air as Garth stepped on the gas, dragging the coach out of the car park and out onto the pitch black street, and Dean watched in satisfaction as Lilith's stirring body thumped down off the roof of the coach and slammed into the concrete. She then stood, screaming in fury, her eyes pulsing white, and a blinding flash illuminated the coach, forcing Dean to avert his eyes.

And when he looked back, he saw a flaming pile of rubble that had once been the east wing of the hospital. Lilith had obliterated it, and she was coming, her limo had pulled up and she was about to start following.

The coach roared up the pitch black street, driving away from the flaming hospital ruins ignoring all the other cars that had gone pitch black.

"What the hell happened to all the cars?" Cox asked, now checking Dean.

Thunder then boomed overhead, and jagged blue lightning flashed across the sky, and the rain began to plummet, making the road wet, the rain bouncing off the room.

"Same thing that's happening to the weather. Raphael." Dean said grimly, and he looked through the skylight to see Raphael, wings formed with electricity, glaring down at them.

Cox blanched, and looked out of the back window, and swore at what he saw.

"Reynolds must be following us, with the siren on too! Idiot! And an ambulance, which I assume must be the vampires, and there's a limo too, which I assume is that bitch Lilith, and by the looks of things we have another car on our tail too!" he reported, and Bobby cursed.

"You ok?" Dean asked worriedly, and he nodded.

"Yeah, took it out of me, and don't worry, it wasn't vengeance, it was protection, pure and simple." He explained, and Dean shook his head.

"We got out of there thanks to you Bobby, thanks. Now, any ideas on how to get out of this one?" he asked as Garth took them out of the pitch black city of Seattle, Raphael raging overhead, gathering his strength, with FBI, demons, vampires and Leviathans pursuing them from behind.

Lightning strikes flashed down at the wet roads, electricity crackling over the surface, and Marion slammed shut the window he had fired out of, fed up of getting soaked. The entire road was shimmering with electricity as Garth sped them down the highway, and the thunder was following them, as was their pursuit, and all of it was getting closer all the time.

"You know you cannot escape me Winchester! And you face a long drive in the dark!" Raphael crowed in a booming voice that carried for miles along the valley they were now pelting down, as the rain increased, the thunder roared and lightning flashed.

The wind picked up, and Dean hobbled to the side, after gently lowering Sam's head back to the pillow, and he grabbed a pen from the sideboard, and threw one to Cox and to Jody.

"Start drawing Enochian symbols, it will ward off Raphael!" he said, stabbing his hand with the pen and drawing blood, and began drawing a banishing sigil with the bleeding one and used the marker to start drawing others, an act which Jody and Cox began to copy.

Raphael roared in frustration as he saw what Dean was trying to do, and Garth swore as several columns of lightning slammed into the road, making him swerve the coach around on the wet road.

Sam gave a weak groan, and Dean immediately turned and knelt beside his brother, regretting it as his ankle flamed in pain, and he took Sam's hand as Sam fell back into full unconsciousness.

"Don't you worry, just you lie there, I'll do all the work." He said fondly, stroking his brother's hair, and really wishing Sam was awake, he would have a plan right about now.

The FBI van was getting closer, and the ambulance was also catching up, and the other two weren't far behind. Bobby squinted and saw Valente, his skull have missing, roaring in pain and fury, as another two Leviathans, one Dr Villar and one Nurse Featherstone, both restored, drove his car after them.

Lightning crackled across the surface of the road, thunder rumbled, the wind howled, the rain lashed, and above all that din, Dean, returning to drawing the sigils heard hellhounds snarling, and cursed, realising they must be able to keep up with them. The ambulance was closing in on them, the storm was getting worse, the entire coach shaking in the wind as they fled down the highway, the storm multiplying in strength and ferocity as Raphael was beginning to lose sight of the coach, despite knowing where it was.

Raphael then felt a blast of heat come towards him, and swung out of the way, as a being with large fleshy, bat like wings, massive talons, glowing orange eyes with black slits and massive teeth swept past him.

"A dragon!" Raphael cursed as the monster roared and descended for the highway, firing a jet of flame from its mouth.

"Where the hell did the dragon come from?" Bobby demanded, and Jody looked up at him in shock.

"Dragon?" she demanded hysterically.

The dragon roared, having been drawn by the scent of the Winchesters on the wind as he flew over the city, he recognised their smell from the last time they had met, they were the ones that had killed Mother. He couldn't let that stand, not after he had brought her back and they had killed her, and he pelted for the coach, his claws scraping along the roof.

Dean stumbled to the front of the coach, marking the wall with more sigils, and Cox was doing the same at the other end, and Raphael was losing control. Lightning flashed, and the dragon rolled away from it, casting a fireball up at the archangel, as the pursuit got ever closer.

Dean sighed in relief as he drew a final sigil, and he nodded to Cox before Garth burled the coach sharply to the left, taking them into a secluded country trail, heading through it as fast as they could go. The dragon roared, and the lightning flashed down, setting the overhanging trees alight, and as the dragon roared and sent a fireball billowing outwards, several trees burst immediately into flames despite the rain. Cox cursed as he saw that their pursuit was still following.

"We've got too many bad guys after us!" he said, and Dean nodded.

"Too true. Would you believe me when I told you that this is quickly becoming the crappiest day ever?" he asked, just as the coach hit a bump in the road and he slammed to the ground, groaning.

"Dean!" Jody exclaimed in panic.

Dean swore. The sigils wouldn't do much good, Raphael was simply using the dragon as a guide for where to target. And their pursuit was getting closer, and the fireballs the dragon was firing were getting closer and more dangerous. The lightning was becoming more accurate, and the thunder louder.

"This is madness! And what the hell is that thing?" Reynolds demanded, pointing to the dragon up ahead.

"No idea. But he isn't getting the Winchesters, none of them. We are." Charlie vowed forcefully, closing the gap some more.

Dean struggled to his feet. Even if they could get rid of one of them, how did they get rid of the rest?

"Get lost you smouldering insect!" Raphael barked at the dragon, who retaliated by firing a fireball at him, which Raphael had to deflect.

"Garth, hit the brakes!" Bobby yelled, and against his better judgement, Garth did so.

The dragon shot overhead, and Raphael, furious at the attack against him, fired a jolt of lightning. The dragon roared in pain as the bolt hit him, crackling around his body and he returned to his human form, before crashing into the trees at the side of the road, all on fire, and he was gone from sight, wailing as he vanished as fire lit all around him.

"Dean, now!" Bobby barked, and Dean slammed his bleeding hand onto the banishing sigil, and with a pained scream, there was a white flash from nowhere, and Raphael was gone with a furious roar.

The storm abruptly dissipated, and the lights along the route once more flared to life, the moon appearing high above them and Garth stepped on it once more.

"Is the angel gone?" Marion asked as the coach flew up the abandoned road, heading towards the edge of the state.

"For now." Dean said, collapsing onto the bed and gently lifting Sam's had into his lap.

"And now they shouldn't be able to see us either, now the sigils are all up, the dragon was acting as a target, he was letting Raphael know where we were. Where the hell did the dragon come from?" Bobby demanded, and Dean looked tenderly down at Sam.

"That must have been the one that escaped, it must just be our lucky day that it was passing by when the entire world is out to kill us. It's human form, what little I saw of it, did look familiar now I think about it." Dean said, holding Sam's cold hand in his own.

Great, as if they didn't have enough problems with Raphael, Lilith, Gordon, the FBI and Valente on their tail, the bloody dragon would be after them now too, most likely miffed that they had killed Eve.

"Still on record for the suckiest day ever?" Jody asked, her face pale, and Marion looked back at her in concern.

"You don't look so good." He said worriedly.

"Any ideas where the hell we should be going Dean?" Garth asked, and Dean shook his head.

"No idea Garth, just anywhere but where all that lot behind us are." Dean said, watching as Cox opened a small drinks cabinet, wrinkling his nose disparagingly.

"Blood, nothing but blood." He said, then looked at Dean curiously.

"Could we use it against the vampires?" he asked, and Dean smiled.

"Doc, you might be on to something. Take some of Sammy's blood, quick!" he ordered, and Cox dug a small syringe out of his rucksack and filled it.

"What now?" he asked, and Dean grinned.

"We start throwing bottles of blood." He told him, lowering Sam down again, and beckoning Marion and Bobby, while Jody hobbled to the front of the coach to help Garth.

"There's a bridge coming up, over a river!" Jody called, and Dean grinned, and Cox pulled down the window, uncorking the large bottles of blood, dropping a squirt of Sam's blood into the first few.

"Coming up...now!" Garth yelled.

"Fire!" Bobby called, and they threw the bottles from the coach, sending them over the side, and Garth scraped the coach alongside the edge of the bridge.

In the ambulance, Gordon scented Sam's blood, bloodlust filling him.

"Sammy!" he said in delight, and Grant looked at him in alarm.

"Gordon, no, he's still on the coach, don't!" he barked, trying to jerk the wheel from him, but taken over as he was by bloodlust, Gordon followed the scent.

And crashed right through the barrier.

"AHHH!" Gordon screamed as their ambulance plunged off the bridge, following the falling blood bottles, splashing into the river, and was gone from sight.

"Yes!" Dean cried in ecstasy, hobbling back to the bed.

"Alright. Six bad guys after us, three down, three to go. Options for the others?" Marion asked, and Cox, sitting in the back seat, looked out and saw the FBI van getting closer.

"How good a shot are you?" he asked, and Marion grinned, and poked his head out of the open window, took aim, took a deep breath, and fired.

There was a bang, and Cox smiled as he saw Reynolds and Charlie cry out in surprise as their airbags flared to life, and no longer in control, the van shuddered down a hill, crashing into a tree.

"Ha, it worked. Good shot." Cox said, and Marion gave him a mock bow.

"So we still have two of the scariest ones left?" Garth called back, and smiled as they came to a wide expanse of open road, shifting up as far as the gearbox would go and flooring it.

Cox saw the repairing skull of Valente in the driver's seat, and two people he worked with in the other seats of his car, and pursed his lips.

"The Leviathans are nearly right on top of us!" he called, as Valente began to overtake the coach, which seemed to be slowing down.

"I know." Garth said excitedly.

"Boy, you get us killed and I'll kill you!" Bobby warned, as the two vehicles entered a tunnel, and Garth smiled.

"Watch." He assured a panicking Jody, and they erupted from the tunnel, right onto a hairpin bend, and Garth twirled the wheel, sending the coach screeching around the tight corner, but the car with the Leviathans, going faster and the sign blocked by the coach, shot right past them.

They heard a vicious roar as the car punctured through the railings and hurtled off the cliff, heading to the stormy sea below.

"Good lad!" Marion said, flopping down into a seat as something slammed the back of the coach.

"Lilith!" Cox squeaked, and Dean looked at Bobby desperately.

"She's still the worst one." He said in a scared voice, and Bobby nodded grimly, both of them looking worriedly at Sam's prone form.

The coach sped along the road, and the limo bearing Lilith was nearly right beside them.

"Sod it. Slam her!" Jody ordered, seeing Lilith's white eyes reflected in the wing mirror, and Garth did as instructed.

The limo swerved, but regained control, and Garth repeated the process, this time making the limo swerve harder, and Jody cursed as she saw Lilith raise her hand and her eyes shimmer.

"Again, hurry!" she yelped, and Garth did so once more.

And this time it was effective, sending the limo spiralling around, out of control, before it slammed hard into the wall of the tunnel they had just entered, the slowness vanished, and the coach sped onwards to freedom.

XX

Hours had passed, and their pursuit was clearly gone. Marion was dozing in the passenger seat, while Jody was snoozing at the dining table, Cox sitting opposite her, looking shell shocked. And Dean and Sam were on the bed, Dean's head drooped on his chest, his hand wrapped slightly in his brother's hair, Sam's head resting on his lap.

"Where the hell are we meant to be going?" Garth asked, smiling as he saw the sun begin to come up, the classical music he had playing soothing him.

"No idea. Dean is on the run, well we all are now considering how many bad guys are after us, and there's only so much we can do going cross country. Right now, our only problem should be the dragon if it comes back, the others should be out of the way for now, Raphael can't find us, and now that the sun's coming up, we can lose ourselves in traffic again soon enough, that'll throw everyone else off the trail." Bobby said, standing behind Garth.

"Aunt Marge could help." Garth offered, and Bobby shook his head.

"Best not, not yet at least. We're not much good in a fight when the only ones fighting at full capacity are you, me and the doc, and I think the doc needs a good stiff drink." He said, looking musingly at the white faced doctor.

"Can you blame him?" Garth asked, and Bobby shook his head, just as a phone rang, and he began looking through the boys duffels before finding it.

"Dean, phone." He said, and Dean reluctantly awoke, accepting the call.

"Hello?" he asked.

Bobby watched him as he spoke on the phone, and saw a smile of familiarity, and then his mouth set in a grim line, before giving a last smile before he hung up.

"Garth!" he called, not too loud, not wanting to wake anyone up.

"Yeah?" Garth asked, cocking his head back.

"Looks like we have a place to stay. Get us to Kansas." He said, and Garth nodded as they headed on to the motorway.

"Who was that?" Bobby asked curiously, and Dean smiled.

"An old friend." He said elusively, looking at Sam's form and his mouth shaking a little, and abruptly it hit Bobby.

"When you say Kansas do you mean?" he asked, and Dean nodded, his eyes shimmering, and he gulped.

"Yeah. Lawrence, Kansas. Home." He said weakly.

XX

The dragon was somehow still alive, but every muscle felt like it was on fire, and one of his wings were ripped. He growled at the pain he was in. What the hell had happened last night? One minute he had been flying over Seattle, which had gone pitch black, as had most of the western seaboard, and all of a sudden, he had detected a whiff of the ones who had killed another of his kin, hunters, who had been trying to stop them summoning Mother from Purgatory. Anger had filed him, outright fury when he thought of the death of his kin, and even more so when he remembered hearing that the two hunters he smelled were the ones who had killed Mother, and he had gone in for the attack, ready to burn them off the face of the globe.

But an angel had gotten in the way. It had been some time since he'd tussled with one of them, and suffice to say, he hadn't come off the better party.

He growled, and got to his feet. He would deal with the angel later. He could still smell the ones he was looking for, the Winchesters. And when he found the, they would be burnt to death.

Growling, he stomped up the incline, his wing hurting. He needed to look human, to follow them by car. Otherwise, he'd be spotted anyway and he didn't want that.

Either way though, he would find the Winchesters and kill the, regardless of what the angel wanted.

XX

Meg had managed to escape the hospital, the patient getting the blame for killing Randolph. And now, she was driving across America, trying to help the Winchesters, hearing reports of the entire west coast's power supply going out, and she knew what that meant.

Angels. And she figured the angels wouldn't be particularly happy if they found out Castiel was alive, and even less happy to find that a demon was guarding him in order to try and use him on Crowley.

"Come on Dean, answer the phone." She snarled as she waited in traffic and he did so a second later.

"Hi Meg, is Cas alright?" he asked anxiously.

"Yes he is, for the moment anyway. I'm fine too thanks for asking. What the hell is going on?" she demanded, sending the car on a little bit as the traffic moved slowly.

"Why do you care?" he asked suspiciously, and Meg rolled her eyes.

"Dean, I've been around long enough to know what an angel appearing looks like. And if angels are around, they might take Castiel before I set him loose on Crowley, then I'm screwed. Which means, to protect poor little catatonic Castiel, I need to go to the only ones who might be able to help him, and that means you boys. And besides Dean, you really do need my help, from what I hear you have the entire country chasing you." She said smugly, and he could hear the suppressed growl in his voice.

"Well, it's worse than that. And you might not live long enough to set atom-Cas, because we have serious problems. Raphael is alive, and he's looking for Cas." He told her, and she felt the blood flush from her face.

Raphael, the one Cas had consumed all the souls trying to kill. Raphael, who would come along and obliterate Cas before she got Crowley off her ass. And if she was in the same place, she wouldn't even leave a sooty mark if she went up against an archangel.

"Hence the blackout last night. He chasing you?" she asked, not keen on the idea of meeting with him if it was going to attract the attention of an angel.

"Not at the moment, we banished him. But he's only one of our problems, Leviathans are after us too, so are the FBI. A dragon joined the fun last night too, so did vampires." Dean said grimly, and she had to admit, they knew how to attract trouble.

"You make friends wherever you go don't you?" she asked, and he swore at her, making her smile, but then a confident, cocky edge came to his voice.

"You know, you better hurry if you want to kill Crowley. Someone else might beat you to it." He said, and she frowned. As far as she knew, Crowley had killed the rest of any potential support she might have.

"Who?" she asked in new interest, because if it was someone she could work with, then she could hang up and abandon Dean, Sam and Cas to their fate.

"Lilith."

Meg was so shocked she almost crashed into the car in front.

"Lilith? Castiel set her loose didn't he?" she demanded, and Dean confirmed it, making Meg shudder.

Lilith, the Alpha demon. While she was a Lucifer loyalist, she would obliterate anyone she deemed useless in any way, and considering the fact that she had recently been working to protect an angel, Lilith would incinerate her on the spot for helping one of her hated enemies. And while Meg despised Crowley, she did admit that he was a lot better a king of hell than she would be a queen, Lilith was one of the most bloodthirsty demons there was and if she took over, it wouldn't be pretty, for any side.

Least of all for a single demon with a known history of defying the ruler of hell. She had only one choice: work with the Winchesters and pray they could stop Lilith before she could take over.

"Crap. Where do you want me to meet you?" she asked, and she could hear the smug tilt to his voice.

"Oh, what's the matter Meg, having to slum it with a known criminal?" he asked with a grin.

"Look Dean, you need help. Lilith is on the war path, and so is Raphael, and that means poor little Castiel is in big trouble. And that affects the two of us. So where do you want me to meet you?" she asked snarkily.

XX

Sam awoke, his memory hazy, rubbing his eyes as he did so. He scratched his head, encountering a bandage on his head, which he was confused about. He shook his head to try and clear it, opening his eyes all the way, and then looked around in confusion.

They were clearly in an attic room, with a double bed put in it. Sunlight was streaming through the circular window, and it looked a pleasant enough room. He also noted that while he was wearing a hospital gown, he didn't feel unsafe, and wasn't tied up like he had been the last few times he had woken up like this.

He turned his head to the side, and smiled as he saw his big brother, whose head was lying on the bed beside Sam's knee, having dozed off kneeling on a pile of pillows on the floor. Sam winced sheepishly, Dean must have been watching over him when he had dropped off, and now he would suffer for it. Sam looked fondly at his brother, his eyes concerned as he saw the cuts and bruises on Dean's face.

Had they been in a fight? Everything was so hazy. He remembered the motel, but everything else was a blur. What had happened? And why was his head plastered, and why was the window actually wide open, it was freezing?

Sam's eyes travelled over Dean's ankle, which was also in plaster, and he frowned. A hunt gone wrong? Fed up of trying to figure out the answers, he gently poked Dean's cheek, and Dean gave a groaning yawn, his eyes opening blearily.

And then his face split into a massive smile as he saw his little brother, wide awake, looking at him in confusion and concern.

"Sammy!" he cried ecstatically, jerking his head up, and immediately feeling the pain in his knees and joins from having been sat in the same uncomfortable position so long.

Striving past the pain, he pulled Sam into an immediate and thankful hug, sighing in relief as he held his little brother, who gratefully returned it.

"Huh. I take it from that hug I wasn't doing too well?" he asked, his voice hoarse, and Dean passed him a glass of water.

Sam took it and shuffled over, allowing Dean to sit beside him and stretch out his legs.

"No, you weren't. You nearly died Sammy. Again." Dean said, his voice slightly quivering in fear.

"How this time?" Sam asked, drinking his water, and Dean looked away in shame.

"Because of me." He said darkly, and Sam looked at his brother curiously.

"What do you mean?" he asked, bewildered, and Dean looked at him sadly.

"You...you had a blood clot on your brain. It was started by Edgar, when he smacked you when we first encountered him, but every time you've been hit there since then, it's just kept getting bigger. That's why you had such a bad headache when we left New Orleans, Dr Cox reckons you were about to have a stroke. The blood clot was killing you, and I...I'm the one who kept smacking you there, like when you took the Impala, in Dillimore, in New Orleans..." he said, and Sam shook his head.

"Wait, hold up. Dr Cox, from Dillimore?" he asked, and Dean nodded.

"Yeah, he was transferred to Seattle, he's downstairs, we all had to leave the hospital in a hurry." He said, clearly hoping to pass over the rest of the conversation, but Sam, returned to normal colour and temperature and lucidity again, wasn't going to let him.

"What do you mean because of you? Dean, you just said yourself Edgar caused it." Sam said in exasperation, and Dean shook his head.

"Yeah, but every time I've hit you since, I've been making it worse Sammy! You could have died!" he said despairingly, and Sam rolled his eyes.

"Dean?"

"What?" his brother asked sullenly.

"Come here." Sam ordered, and as Dean came closer, he clipped him on the ear.

"Ow." Dean said ruefully, glaring at his brother.

"Stop blaming yourself. It wasn't your fault, anything could have happened to make it worse. And besides, its not as if you meant to make it worse even if you did." Sam said kindly, and Dean smiled a little.

"I've missed you Sammy. You've been scaring the crap out of me." He said, and Sam looked at him guiltily.

"How long have I been out?" he asked, and Dean frowned.

"Nearly four days. What do you remember?" Dean asked wondering just when his brother became too out of it to take in what was going on, and Sam shook his head, still trying to sort everything out.

"The last thing I remember is getting to the motel." He admitted, and Dean smiled.

"Alright, story time then. Well, we got to the motel, you were away with it, your fever was through the roof. Valente, the FBI Leviathan, and Charlie, the idiot who said I killed you, Marion's deputy, showed up. Turns out Charlie was right to hate me. I killed his brother." He admitted, and Sam frowned. Great, a vigilante cop, just what they needed.

"When?" he asked curiously, and Dean looked at him nervously before continuing.

"He was the first werewolf we fought after...after Madison." He said, hating the flicker of pain that passed over his brother's face at the mention of the werewolf he had fallen for and had then had to kill.

"Oh. Sorry." He said softly, and Dean shook his head.

"Hey...I'll admit that at that time, I was sort of keeping you back from the attack, I didn't want you to feel worse than you already did. Either way I'd have had to kill him, he knocked you out. But, yeah, Charlie hates me and wants me dead, so..." Dean said and continued his story.

"A car crash? Did I cause this one?" Sam asked in a pained voice as Dean reached that part of the story, and Dean shot him a scolding look.

"No. And you didn't cause the other one either, it wasn't your fault what happened, it was a demon, and you know it." He said sternly, and Sam nodded meekly, remembering the crash where he had nearly lost Dean and had lost their dad.

Dean continued with the story, and Sam was relieved to hear the others were alright. Dean then described their escape from the Leviathans in the hospital, explaining the presence of a still very overwhelmed Dr Cox, and then he got onto what had happened in the basement.

"We have problems Sammy. Major problems." He said softly, and Sam looked at him worriedly.

"It can't be much worse than us nearly dying and being chased by the FBI and the Leviathans." He pointed out, and Dean snorted.

"Oh yeah it can. They're actually the least of our worries." He said darkly, and Sam looked up at him in scared concern, and Dean took a deep breath.

"There's a nest of vampires after us. And Gordon is leading them. He escaped with Zachariah and the rest of the assholes Cas set loose." He said, and his hand immediately panged as Sam clutched at it hard.

"Gordon?" Sam asked, his voice wavering, remembering their hellish last fight, being stalked by a vampire Gordon who had wanted to kill Sam for being a demonic double agent, and he had damn near succeeded in killing both him and Dean, his own personal assassin.

"Yeah. Gordon. We got rid of him for the moment, but, he's going to be coming for you Sammy." He said, and hated the apprehensive look on Sam's face. After all, it would still take a while to get back to full strength, and if Gordon attacked before then, he would be in severe trouble.

"Dean..." Sam moaned, and Dean shook his head.

"We've got worse problems. The dragon that escaped us is after us too, we ran into it when we left Seattle." He explained, and Sam shook his head.

"Christ, FBI, Leviathans, vampires and dragons. Anything else you want to throw at me?" he asked, and Dean looked at him sheepishly.

"There is? How?" Sam demanded in angry panic, fearing that they were already in way over their heads.

"We've got angels and demons Sammy. And not just any angels and demons. Turns out when Cas was putting everything back into Purgatory, Raphael slipped back out. He wants Cas, and he wants us so he can restart the Apocalypse." Dean explained, and Sam groaned.

"For god sake, angels, why did it have to be angels? And what about the demons, is it Crowley?" he asked, and it was a testament to how bad things were that he sounded quite hopeful that it was Crowley.

"Worse. Sammy, Cas let something else loose. Someone else who wants you dead more than anything. Lilith." Dean said, and Sam looked up at Dean in terror.

"You're sure?" he asked weakly, the images of the demon he had killed to start the Apocalypse rearing to life in his head, her powers making him fearful. She was going to be very upset he reckoned. And now they didn't have any way to kill her, an invincible, all powerful demon, gunning specifically for him.

"I think I preferred it when I had a blood clot and was unconscious, everything was less scary. So we have angels, demons, Leviathans, humans, vampires and a dragon after us?" Sam demanded weakly, and Dean nodded.

"Yeah. That day counted as one of our worst, and I'm taking in days when we've died, when people we love died, and it's still one of the most crappy." He said, and Sam looked at him worriedly.

"Are we screwed?" he whispered nervously, and Dean frowned, pondering his answer, then looked at his brother and shrugged.

"I don't know. We've protected the place so we're safe for now, but, yeah, there's a good chance we are screwed." He said, and Sam bit his lip worriedly, before looking around the room curiously, forcing down images of all the enemies they had coming after them.

"Alright, never mind all the bad guys out to obliterate us, we can deal with them later. Where are we?" he asked, and Dean gave him a significant look.

"We're...Sammy, we're home." He said, stressing the last word slightly, and Sam's eyes went round.

"Oh...Missouri?" he asked with a small smile, and Dean frowned at him.

"No dummy, Kansas remember?" he asked, checking his brother's forehead, and Sam forced him off irritably.

"I know that, I meant are we staying with Missouri?" he asked, rolling his eyes, just as the attic door opened.

To reveal the woman herself, a kindly dark skinned psychic woman, her black curly hair styled into a sort of bun on her head, held back by a pink hairband.

"Damn right you are. Hello Sam. It's so good to see you up and about again, I've missed you boys." She said fondly, and Sam and Dean both grinned as Missouri bustled over to give them a hug.

**Thank goodness Sam is awake and on the mend, that makes things so much easier, maybe Dean will stop worrying so much now too. Because one thing is clear, both boys are going to have to be at their best considering they have six lots of bad guys after them, and believe it or not, there's still one more to go! Hey, how clever, I just realised, I have seven bad guys, I've got seven stories and theres been seven seasons.**

**And now we know who all the big bads are, bar the last one, youll see him in the next chapter but not in his final guise.  
**

**But at least we have some friends now, Missouri is back! I have missed her, and I figured she could reappear for the final shinding. Other old friends from the stories are showing up next chapter, and cameos from two very important people!  
**

**Anyway, what will happen next? Will our villains catch up with the boys while they stay with Missouri? How will the boys get out of this one, especially, when as Sam pointed out, they have no way to kill Lilith, Raphael or the Leviathans.  
**

**The hospital is the same name as the one from Grey's Anatomy, and as I dont like it, Lilith blew it up, best thing for it. Kelso, Cox and Braff are all associated with Scrubs, which I dont particularly like either, but Cox was the first name that came to my head and I figured I should continue the theme. And Featherstone is a miserable old woman from the comedy Open All Hours.  
**

**So next time, bargains are made, friends unite, and our enemies begin to pick up on the boys scent again. How are they going to get out of this one?  
**

**The answer will be up soon (by the way, I doubt this will be the usual five chapters, it'll most likely be longer)  
**

**So, hope you're enjoying so far, hope I did the escape justice (I had the theme from Dark Knight playing while I wrote it) and as always, please read and leave lots of reviews!  
**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural**

Bleeding Storm

Taking it slowly after Missouri went down the stairs, Dean helped Sam get up and washed and dressed, as Sam was still finding it hard to get everything to work again after so long lying still. With his pair pushed back, clad in a tshirt, joggers and his hoodie, Sam followed Dean down the stairs to the sitting room, Dean keeping a hand on his wrist as he did so to steady him.

"Oh it's good to see you up and about Sam. Come on, I've made you some breakfast." Missouri said happily as he appeared at the door of the kitchen, now standing on his own two feet, and he sat down at the table while she plied him with a plate of sausages, egg and a potato scone.

"Thanks Missouri." He said as he beheld the food, and got tucked in, as Dean was also served some breakfast.

"Hello stranger. You look a lot better than you did when we got here." Bobby said, flickering to life beside Sam, and Sam smiled up at him, his mouth full of egg.

"That isn't hard, he looked like he was on death's door when he got here. One benefit though, maybe Dean will stop looking so miserable and stop being so antisocial now his brother is awake." Missouri said teasingly, and Sam grinned as his brother blushed.

"You know, this is why we don't come here very often, you always pick on me." Dean protested, and Sam laughed.

"Well, you always pick on me, it's only fair someone other than Bobby gets the occasional shot." He pointed out.

"It isn't fair, she always takes your side!" Dean moaned, his voice surly, and Missouri and Bobby smiled at each other.

"So did Ellen. But Bobby and dad always liked you best." Sam pointed out, and Dean shook his head.

"That isn't the point." He said childishly.

Bobby, Missouri and Sam all looked at each other in confusion.

"Well what is the point then? Because I'm the youngest I shouldn't be anyone's favourite?" Sam asked whiningly, and Dean chewed it over, then nodded with a grin on his face.

"Exactly."

"That doesn't even make sense, and it isn't fair." Sam said, and Bobby rolled his eyes.

"Don't worry Sam, you just charm the older women in your life, you're the sweet one all the woman like, Dean has player written all over him, it turns us against him." Jody said as she limped through into the kitchen, and Sam got up and hugged her.

"Wow, you don't look so good." He said, taking in her plastered arm and leg.

She patted his cheek fondly.

"Hey, I looked a damn sight better than you, you gave us quite a scare. Dean didn't let anyone touch you, he was like some sort of guard dog, he growled if we went near him." She said, delighting in watching Dean's face flush with embarrassment.

"Really?" Sam asked in delight, smiling widely.

"Well, I wasn't that bad, I..." Dean protested, and Missouri winked at him.

"Don't worry boy, I won't tell them that you tucked Sam in every night. Whoops." She said, and Dean glowered at them.

"See, this is why it isn't fair, they all pick on me." He moaned, and they all laughed, and Sam looked around as three more people entered the already crowded kitchen.

"Sam, welcome back!" Garth said, shaking his hand.

"Wow, Garth, great to see you." He said, and Marion then shook his hand and pulled him into a one armed hug.

"You gave us quite a scare. Now I'm probably the only guy in existence who can say he's driven a car with a Winchester seizing in the back." He said cheerfully, and he was shunted out of the way as Dr Cox, looking much more human coloured than the night they had arrived, entered and checked the cut on Sam's head.

"Yes, healing nicely. Take the tablets a few more days, and take it easy, and by easy I man stick around the house, no hunting or strenuous activity whatsoever. And then you'll be as right as rain." He said confidently, taking the cup of coffee Missouri passed him.

Dean had told him what it was like the night they had arrived. Missouri had called them, sensing that Dean needed a place to stay, and had offered her home. The coach, remarkably unpursued since Washington, had glided into town and had been parked, albeit with a tight squeeze, in the barn beside Missouri's house. Marion had then helped carry Marion in, while Garth and Cox between them had carried Sam in, despite Dean's protests, and they had eventually come back for him and the luggage. Cox had then attended to Sam, whose fever had picked up on the journey, and he had had a coughing fit which had made his head bleed, so he'd had to deal with that. Once Sam had been settled, Cox had given Marion, Dean and Jody the once over, and after being offered a glass of whisky by Missouri, had drunk it and had just sat staring at the wall, shell shocked by all that had happened. Marion had soon dozed off and Missouri had helped Jody to the spare bedroom, and after Dean had struggled up the stairs to the attic, he had curled up protectively around his brother and had only left the room to go to the bathroom since then.

However, now Marion was mostly mended, Dean's wounds were healing, Jody was getting there, and Cox had been given a beginner's guide to the supernatural by Bobby and Garth, and he seemed a lot more cheerful about things.

"Alright, we need to figure out what the hell we're going to do about the mess we're in. Let's go next door." Dean said, and they trouped out, and Sam stuck behind to help Missouri with the tea and coffee she was making for everyone.

"It's great to see you again Missouri." He said happily, and she smiled at him.

"It's good to see you too Sam. You've gotten even more handsome, just like your brother. You could have visited more often though." She scolded, and he flashed his puppy dog eyes at her.

"I wanted to, but with everything to do with the deal, then the Apocalypse, then Eve, then the Leviathans, and remember I rarely get to drive or decide where we go, we've hardly had the time. I'm sorry Missouri." He said, and she smiled at him fondly.

"Figures it would be your brother's fault. Come on, let's get this staff meeting started." She said, and Sam noted that she had two more cups than she had guests.

"Missouri?" he asked, and she winked at him.

"Psychic remember? Be a honey and get the door would you?" she asked, bustling through, and Sam shook his head, and reached the door just as it rang.

He was about to open it when Dean stomped through, eyes slightly worried, relaxing when he saw Sam, and Sam smiled. He was in his maternal, overprotective mode again, not wanting to let Sam out of his sight for a minute. Shaking his head in amusement, he opened the door to see two of the unlikeliest companions he had ever thought to see.

The one on the left was the small, brown haired, irritable form of Meg, the demon who was meant to be watching Cas. Why Dean had summoned her, he didn't have a clue, but nevertheless here she was.

The one on the right was a man with broad shoulders, a salt and pepper haircut, and small, mean, grey eyes. Sam hadn't seen the man in years, not since the last time he had been entrusted to look after Sam while Dean and their dad went on a hunt. And the man hadn't been the best of carers and had lured a witch to his house, and Sam had gotten hurt in the blast when he had killed her. Their dad had been furious, as they had entered just as the witch had been blown up, and had lost his temper, and a fourteen year old Dean had smacked the man in the mouth, knocking out several teeth before warning him if he ever let Sam get hurt again, he would gut him.

"Meg." Dean said in greeting, and she smiled grimly.

"Well, you going to invite me in? I'm getting frostbite out here." She said, and Sam stood aside to let her in.

"Sam. Dean. Been a while." Joshua said, nodding at them but not extending his hand, and Sam watched in amusement as Dean took a protective step in front of Sam.

"Joshua." Dean said, nodding in response, which Sam also did.

Joshua was part of the old breed of hunters, a man totally obsessed with killing the next creature and not caring who got in the way. He was also similar in temperament to their father, arrogant, obsessive, secretive and had very little tolerance for any viewpoint other than his own. He was also rather fond of using his fists to settle arguments, a fact that had seen him rather exiled from the groups the boys usually travelled in. Ellen had once described him as a 'dim witted, arrogant, thuggish bull', and had forced him from the roadhouse at gunpoint for being too drunk and too violent along with it.

Joshua roughly shouldered past Dean, making him stagger a little on his healing ankle and Sam quickly proper him up.

"You ok?" he asked, and Dean nodded.

"Yeah. I see he hasn't changed. Sammy, watch what you say around him ok?" he asked softly, and Sam looked at him in concern.

"Why?" he asked suspiciously, and Dean glowered through the walls.

"Because he's of the same mould as dad for a start, and I know that'll piss you off. And...he was friends with Steve Wandell." He said quietly, hating the flicker of hurt and self hatred that appeared on Sam's face as he was mentioned.

Steve Wandell had been a solitary hunter, but he and Joshua had worked together on a few cases. Sam, who had disappeared, had been possessed by Meg, and had killed Steve, in Meg's plan to try and force Dean to kill him. He'd freed Sam, though Sam had never forgiven himself for all he had done back then, torturing Jo, killing Steve and attacking Dean.

"Great. And let me guess, he'll be on the same band wagon as Walt and Roy who thinks we're to blame for everything goes wrong in the world?" Sam asked bitterly, and Dean scowled darkly.

"Wouldn't surprise me." He said and beckoned Sam to follow him through.

"Good. Now, maybe you boys can explain what the hell is going on." Meg said, ignoring the searching look Cox was giving her.

Sam looked at Dean, who was giving him a hard commanding look, and Sam reluctantly sat down on the free couch, Dean plonking down beside him.

"Basically what's going on is what we're screwed. We have bad guys coming out of our ear holes. We have angels, demons, vampires, dragons, FBI and Leviathans all chasing us. On top of that, I'm wanted for mass murder and for the murder of Sam. I reckon the few people we can count as friends are virtually all assembled in this room, and we don't have anywhere left to run. And three of the big bads we have chasing us, Lilith, Raphael and the Leviathans, we don't have the faintest idea how to kill. So basically, I'm open to suggestions." Dean said, looking around at them all.

"I take it run and hide isn't an option?" Cox asked, and Sam shook his head.

"Not a viable one." He said grimly.

Bobby frowned, ignoring the mistrusting look Joshua was giving him.

"Well, we have two options. We either run and get the hell out of dodge, or we stand our ground and fight. Two problems though. Problem with the first choice is, with the Leviathans preparing to make their big move, we wouldn't be gone for very long before it came back to bite us in the ass. And Dean's already said the problem with the other option, we have too many bad asses after us, and the worst ones of the lot we don't know how to kill." He said darkly.

"Not to mention they all seem to have personal vendettas against the boys." Jody said worriedly.

"Well, that's why it's good that Joshua's here, and your demon friend. You boys need all the help you can get." Missouri said, looking mistrustfully at Meg, though that was slightly better than Joshua's response.

He had pulled a gun from his belt and was aiming it right between her eyeballs.

"You called a demon to this? What sort of a hunter are you, working with a demon? You see a demon, you kill it, you don't bring it home for tea and biscuits." Joshua snapped at Dean, who got up, and snatched the gun from Joshua's hand before turning the gun on him.

"Stop being such an ass Joshua, you just got here. And I called Meg because she might know a way to get rid of Lilith. Do you?" he asked, sitting back down, though not giving Joshua his gun back, who was glowering at him.

Meg frowned.

"None that I can think of. And believe me hunter," she said contemptuously to Joshua, "I don't like the fact that I need to work with the boys either. But, the enemy of the enemy is my friend. They want Raphael, Lilith and the big mouths dead, and Crowley too, and that makes us golfing buddies. Deal with it. Anyway Dean, there aren't any surefire ways to kill Lilith, and even if you could exorcise her, it would only make her more powerful and more pissed when she came back." She said worriedly, and Dean cursed.

Garth looked around the room, smiling.

"Come on guys! Lighten up! Yeah, we've got a load of nasties after us. Big deal! Look around this room. We have a ghost, we have a rather attractive demon," he said, indicating Meg, and Bobby, Dean, Sam and Meg all looked at him incredulously, "we have a doctor, a psychic, two sheriffs and four hunters, two of whom are the best in the world. We can handle this." He said cheerfully.

Joshua looked at the kid, unimpressed.

"And considering who's after these boys, which I've been roped into," he began, but Missouri cut him off.

"If you don't stop your bad mouthin I'm gonna whack you with a spoon." She warned darkly, and he sulked at being told off by her and then resumed his speech.

"All the people in this room aren't going to make much difference. And besides, if these boys are as good as you naively seem to think, then they wouldn't have so many enemies chasing them." Joshua said smugly.

Sam glowered at him.

"You know Joshua, you're still an asshole. Shut your mouth." He said, standing up, and Joshua wisely went quiet, seemingly unaffected by the glares he was receiving from everyone in the room.

"Right, we can kill the dragon at least. We still have the sword we used on the last one, it's at the lockup, so we get that, we can get rid of one of the nasties." He said, and Marion looked at him, impressed.

"You have a sword that can kill a dragon just lying around?" he asked, and Sam and Bobby grinned.

"Not really. They have a bit of a sword. Dean blew it apart." He said, and Dean rolled his eyes.

"We needed it in a hurry and I didn't have time to wait for king Arthur to come along and take it out of the stone." He said defensively.

"Either way, he blew up a priceless artefact." Sam said with a smile.

"I'm never living that one down am I?" Dean asked miserably, and Sam shook his head.

"Alright, so we can get rid of the dragon. If it comes to it, we can kill the humans too I suppose, and I must say, shooting Charlie seems a good idea at the moment, little idiot." Marion said, shaking his head in disappointment.

"And we can deal with the vampires too." Bobby said, looking worriedly at Sam.

"You still got Ruby's knife?" Meg asked, and Dean nodded.

"Yeah, but that won't work on Lilith, she's too powerful." He said, and she shrugged.

"Hey, means we can get rid of whatever bozos she has working for her." She reasoned.

"And we have an angel sword, but that won't work on Raphael." Dean pointed out, and then Sam frowned.

Jody got there first.

"Right, I take it you boys have dealt with Lilith and Raphael before, how did you get rid of them last time?" she asked, and the boys looked away from each other.

"Well Cas got rid of Raphael, he absorbed all the souls from Purgatory and destroyed him. Which means that option is out." Dean said.

"And Sam used his powers on Lilith last time." Meg said in sick delight, and he and Dean glowered at her.

"Oh yes...I heard about your demonic powers boy. People began wondering which side you were on. Wondered myself." Joshua said suspiciously, but Dean silenced him with a look.

"And his powers are gone, so we can't use them anyway." He said firmly, and Sam nodded, glowering hatefully at Meg.

"And I wouldn't use them again even if I had them anyway." He said, and she shrugged.

"Just as well I suppose. No one strong enough to give you the boost you'd need, and she would be expecting it." She reasoned, eyeing the suspicious look Joshua was giving Sam out of the corner of her eye.

"I heard about that. Your addiction. Friends of mine vanished after they asked you about it. Any idea why that was?" Joshua asked, getting to his feet, trapping Sam against the wall, and the others rose, but Dean got there first and bodily shoved Joshua back down onto the couch beside Meg.

"Let me make one thing quite plain to you Joshua. I don't care what your problem is with Sam. Missouri called you because she thought you might be useful. So, until you are, you're just going to sit there and shut up. Sam's been through all that stuff, and he's dealt with it. All his debts were paid when he saved this worthless rock. And if you so much as lay a finger on Sam, I will kill you. Got it?" he snarled, and Joshua nodded, while Sam sat down, glowering at the elder hunter.

"Ask yourself this Dean...would your father have let Sam live after all he's done?" Joshua demanded, and Dean turned to glower at him.

"I don't know. But if he did want to kill Sam, he would have had to kill me too. And what's more, it took the two of us, it wasn't just him. Our father could treat us the way you are, but you aren't him. So sit down, shut your mouth and stare at the wall until this is all over." He said, shooting him a venomous look as he sat down beside his brother.

Bobby then broke the tense silence.

"What about an angel sword? If we could get a higher ranked one, we might be able to kill Raphael." He reasoned, but Sam shook his head.

"We would need an archangel's blade to kill Raphael, and we're fresh out of those. Raphael isn't exactly going to let us borrow his so we can kill the bastard, Michael and Lucifer's will be in the cage with them, and Gabriel...Gabriel's might be out there somewhere." He said mostly to Dean, who frowned.

"Wouldn't it have disappeared when he died?" he asked, and Sam shrugged.

"I don't know, but if it's still out there, we need to find it, it'll be the only way we can get rid of Raphael." He reasoned.

"But how do we get our hands on it? We're short our resident angel, so I doubt we'll be able to go back in time to get the damn thing." Dean said, and Sam sighed.

"Well, with Balthazar gone, there's only one place we might be able to get a weapon like that." He said, and Marion looked at him sceptically.

"Somehow I doubt it'll be the local Amm-U-Nation. Where do you get an archangel killing sword?" he asked, and Dean groaned, and said in unison with his brother,

"Crowley."

XX

"You want to summon the king of Hell in my living room?" Missouri asked in distaste, and Meg nodded enthusiastically.

"I agree you don't want Crowley appearing in the living room. Remember, he sort of wants to use my skin for his curtains." She said, and Sam looked at her irritably.

"You think we want to summon him? We're not exactly his biggest fans, but given a choice between him being in charge down there and Lilith, I'd rather have him in charge." He said, and even Meg had to admit, Hell had taken a swing for the better since Crowley had taken over.

"So you're quite friendly with the ruler of all demons. Funny, you wouldn't expect hunters to be friends with one demon, let alone two." Joshua said from his perch on the couch, and Jody glowered at him.

"Are you deaf or just stupid? They don't like Crowley, they don't particularly like Meg, but they work with them from time to time against things that are a lot worse than what you're used to dealing with. Dean told you to shut your mouth, so why don't you?" she asked as Dean dropped blood into the bowl.

"Scram Meg, hide upstairs or outside if you want, the last thing we need is you pair going at it in Missouri's living room." He said, and the demon shot him a cold look before retreating up the stairs.

"You regularly summon the king of hell?" Joshua asked belligerently, and Dean glowered at him.

"What part of shut up don't you grasp? Shut your hole you ass. And no we don't." He said, and Joshua shot Sam a suspicious glance.

"One of the demon friends you made?" he asked him, and Sam turned around and punched him, sending him to the floor with a grunt of pain.

"Stay down there and stay quiet if you know what's good for you." Sam bit out, savouring the glare Joshua was giving him, and the look of reluctant pride that Dean was.

He smiled slightly and turned to the table, as Dean finished the ritual, and with a blaze of black smoke, Crowley appeared before them.

"Hello boys." He said in greeting, casting his eyes over the people assembled in the room and taking in Missouri's living room.

"Crowley." Sam said in greeting as Crowley sized up Marion and Garth.

"You boys must really be getting desperate, scraping the barrel of friends now aren't we?" he asked, and Dean looked at him coolly.

"Well, so many of your old comrades killed all the old ones. And these new ones are just as good." He said, and Marion, Jody and Cox all looked slightly pleased with themselves.

"Charming. Well I assume you boys didn't summon me to discuss your rather eclectic bunch of new friends. What do you want and more importantly why should I give it to you?"

"We need your help. We've got more problems than ever, and we don't have any way to go about killing them." Dean said, and Crowley looked at him sceptically.

"And what could be so bad that you need my help with?" he asked.

"Because remember the big bad angel you and Cas worked together to destroy? Turns out before Cas went poof, when he put the souls back, he let Raphael back out." Sam said, quite content with letting Crowley think Cas was still dead.

Crowley's eyes widened in surprise, the only emotion he showed before transforming his face back into the cool, collected mask it usually was.

"And you now have an archangel after you, who let me guess, wants to restart the Apocalypse and you're thinking that I won't want another angel running around and getting in the way." He asked in a bored voice, and Dean nodded.

"Yeah."

Crowley smiled.

"Well boys, I don't know what to tell you, but I've got no interest in getting involved with you or your angel chums." He said, and was about to smoke out, when Sam raised a hand, and Crowley, curiosity getting the better of him, looked at him sceptically.

"You do know who we're talking about right? Raphael seems to think Cas is still alive. Now, while we know better, he doesn't. And he wants Cas' head on a platter. Which means, if something happens to us, there's only going to be one place for him to go looking for the errant angel." Sam said smugly, and Dean gave Crowley a wicked grin.

"And if he gets rid of us and comes calling on you, I dread to think how much of a mess an archangel can make down there, and with Lucifer trapped in the cage and you being the strongest demon there is, well let's face it, no one on your side would stand a chance against a runaway archangel now would they?" Dean asked, and Crowley shot him a dirty look, knowing he was right.

There was no one left in Hell who could combat an archangel, and if Raphael did decide to venture into hell, hell wouldn't be strong enough to endure for long. He hated it when these arrogant little thugs outwitted him, not that it had happened very often.

"You might have a point. What do you need?" Crowley asked reluctantly.

"We need an archangel's sword to kill Raphael. We know Gabriel had one on him when he died, and we were hoping you could get it for us." Sam said, and Crowley pondered.

He had indeed heard rumours that the sword had vanished after Lucifer had slaughtered the pagan gods at their conference. And if it had been taken, then there was every chance that he could get his hands on it. He was king of the crossroads after all.

"And if I do get it for you, what do I get out of it?" Crowley asked.

"Well I would think that would be obvious. They'll kill Raphael for you, er, your majesty." Marion said nervously, as Crowley turned to survey him and grinned.

"Him, I like, he shows some respect, tepid though it is. Alright, I will look for the sword, but I can't make any promises." He said, and he was about to leave again when Dean stopped him this time.

"And we need another weapon, something that will kill a very powerful demon." Dean said, and Crowley snorted derisively.

"Word of advice Dean boy, you want to kill me, telling me you need me to give you the weapon to do it isn't the way to go about it." He advised, and Sam shook his head.

"It isn't you we're after. Castiel let a fair few things loose when he bust open Purgatory. Lilith was one of them." He said, and this time, Crowley reacted.

He went very pale, his eyes bulged in fear and looked at Sam and Dean pleadingly, as though seeking assurance that it wasn't true.

"Lilith?" he rasped, and Dean nodded.

"Yeah. So we need something incredibly powerful to kill her too." Dean said, and Crowley grimaced.

"You denim clad nightmares really are a thorn in my backside. And Jolly Green can't get his powers back, and the only demon whose blood would give him enough power to kill the vicious bitch is mine, and sorry Moose, but I don't really relish the thought of you sucking on anything of mine." He said, and Sam made a disgusted face.

"Trust me, the feeling's mutual."

"You have any way to kill her?" Bobby asked grumpily, and Crowley shook his head.

"Not that I can give you. Like I said, the only thing you peasants might be able to do is get Sam hooked on demon blood again, and even then there's no guarantees." He said, and Sam and Dean both glowered at him.

"We're not doing that again." Sam intoned, and Crowley rolled his eyes.

"You humans, you have principles only when it suits you. Look at Wall Street and the Bank of England. They had no principles, they've made millions and are now screwing over everyone else. They'll all make fine demons someday. And you, giraffe, you didn't care last time when you were sucking on demon blood, killing hunters and hunting Lilith, so why start caring now?" Crowley asked, and Dean was suddenly aware of how intently Joshua was studying Sam and stood closer to his brother, eyeing Joshua warily.

"Because last time sent the world straight to hell, lost people I cared about, and nearly lost me my big brother. I am not doing it again. And speaking of which, if we do manage to kill her, will it restart the Apocalypse?" Sam asked worriedly, and Crowley frowned as he thought about his answer.

"Hmm, no way to tell. If Raphael is actively trying to kick it all off again, possibly. But then, this is all academic anyway seeing as there's no way for you to kill her, I can't get you anything that will help. Two reasons for that, firstly there's nothing that you'd be able to use, and you won't use demon blood, and you aren't sucking me off. And secondly, even if there was a weapon for you to use, I could hardly just give it to you, the demons will wonder what the hell is going on if I start looking for demon killing weapons, and some of them might support a change in leadership if they learn Lilith is alive." He said.

"Exactly. If she kills us, if we don't stop her, you lose your throne, and something makes me think she won't be happy that you usurped a throne that used to be hers. She'll obliterate you like she will us. So Crowley, if you don't want the evil bitch to roast your ass, you better come up with some way to help us." Dean said, and Crowley grimaced.

"I can't help with Lilith. There's nothing I can do, for several reasons. But, I will agree that she has to go. Tell you what. I'll find the sword for you, free of charge. Then, you kill Raphael...but only after he destroys Lilith. If he can." Crowley said, and Sam shook his head.

"Somehow I don't think he'll smite her until he gets us and Cas, which means he'll go through you first. Are you sure there's no weapon you can get us?" he asked, because he would feel a lot safer if they had a way to kill both her and Raphael.

Crowley thought about it.

"There's a weapon you could use, theoretically, but I can't get you it, you gave it back to it's owner." He said, and Dean's eyes widened.

"Death's scythe." He said in realisation, and Sam paled.

Death's scythe belonged to the horseman Death, and was very powerful, able to kill angels, demons and was the only thing that could kill reapers. Which meant, it could theoretically be used on Lilith. If they could get their hands on it.

"That's the one. So...in exchange for making sure I keep my throne and don't have to deal with Raphael, you get Gabriel's sword. Deal. Sign here." He said, conjuring a scroll.

"Quite the bureaucrat aren't you?" Jody asked, slightly impressed with the corner he had backed the boys into, despite herself.

"Flattery darling, will get you everywhere." He said with a smile, and she blushed a little.

"Oh brother." Bobby grumbled.

"This is all that's in the agreement, no missing souls, no hellhounds, nothing, a simple straight forward trade, we dust Raphael and Lilith in exchange for the sword?" Dean asked, and Crowley cursed.

"You see through all my little ploys don't you? Very well agreed, I won't keep Big bird's soul until the job's done, I would only get endlessly interrupted anyway by the thug's whining. Simple trade, I get you the sword, you get rid of Lilith and Raphael for me. No losing souls, no hellhounds if you renege on the deal, but, and this is a big but, if you fail, then I get your soul Dean. Let Sam have the privilege of a soulless brother this time round." He said, and Sam shook his head desperately at Dean, but Dean nodded.

"We'll just have to make sure we don't fail then." He said, and signed the scroll, his signature flaring with fire.

"You're a bastard Crowley." Sam growled, and Crowley smiled.

"Thank you Moose, as I said, flattery will get you everywhere. And since you're so nice, I will give you a little bonus that will become clear in the fullness of time, but only if you sign right now." He said, and Sam looked at Dean worriedly, as if seeking permission, and Dean nodded encouragingly, and Sam reluctantly signed it.

"What sort of bonus?" he asked, and Crowley smiled.

"Hope you don't have to find out. Pleasure doing business with you as always." He said with a smug grin and a salute, and was gone in a puff of smoke.

"Well, I liked him." Jody said happily, and Missouri shot her a look of amused irritation.

"And I could see why." She said tartly, and Jody blushed.

"You have no taste in men." Bobby said darkly, crossing his arms huffily, and she smiled sweetly up at him.

"Couldn't have done, I kind of liked you." She said, and Marion snorted in amusement.

"She never did." He said, and she smacked him with her good hand, while Bobby gave him an affronted look.

"How many hunters have you killed then boy?" Joshua demanded coldly, and Sam glared at him.

"He meant Walt and Roy, everyone heard what they did to them. That's all Joshua." Garth said, glaring at the older man to back down, which he did so reluctantly, and Sam gave him a look of thanks.

"So, will this king guy come through?" Cox asked curiously, his head spinning, and Dean nodded.

"Yeah. Like Jody said, he is a bureaucrat, and he's made a deal. I'm more worried about the bonus he put into the contract. Trust me, any bonus of his can't be good." He said grimly, to Sam's grim nod.

"You can stop hiding now Meg!" Sam called, and she appeared a second later, glaring at Sam irritably at the insinuation

"So, did the big cheese have any idea on how to kill Lilith?" she asked, and Sam shook his head.

"Nothing that we can use, other than using me as a weapon and I'm not doing that." He said, and Joshua looked at him curiously.

"Oh, so you won't do it now, but you could do it before and condemn a lot of people to death?" he asked peevishly, and Sam's fist tightened, but before Joshua said anything else, Cox stabbed a syringe into his neck. Joshua gave him a furious look before slumping back, unconscious.

"You know, I never considered malpractice before, but that was kind of fun." He said musingly, throwing the syringe into the bin.

"What did you do to him?" Meg asked, poking the hunter.

"Oh, only gave him a mild sedative, shut him up, belligerent wanker. Whatever else Sam might have done, seems to me he's paid his dues or had no control. So he should just drop it, and now, we can concentrate, he was getting on my nerves anyway with his constant interruptions." He said, and Sam smiled at him.

"Thanks doc."

"Want me to slit his throat?" Meg asked curiously.

"Don't tempt me. And speaking of Meg, not a word about the hunter you made Sam kill, or I'll send your sorry ass straight to Crowley, got it?" Dean demanded, and she shot him a cold look before nodding.

"Fine. But I'm just saying, I'd kill him for free. He was one of the ones I was looking for when I murderer all your daddy's friends." She purred, and Dean took a step towards her, fist rising, but Sam stopped him.

"No. It's what she wants." He said softly, and Dean relented.

"When you say you made Sam kill this hunter, how does that work exactly?" Cox asked in interest, earning him surprised looks from the rest.

"What? I'm new to all this, and I'm a doctor, I want to know how things work, I'm nosey that way." He defended, and Meg smiled.

"See, this is a man who knows how to treat a girl. I doubt he's the sort to kiss a girl then throw her on a fire." She said bitterly, referring to Castiel.

"Huh?" Cox asked, and Sam shook his head in exasperation.

"Never mind sugar." She said, and Garth looked at Dean curiously.

"Alright, so if Crowley comes through with the sword, how do we kill Lilith? Sorry to say it, but she sounds a hell of a lot scarier than Raphael." He said worriedly, and Dean nodded.

"She is, and she's gunning specifically for Sammy. But Crowley did say that there is one weapon we can get out hands on that could do it, kill her again, without Sam's powers or Raphael smiting her. Death's scythe." He said, and Cox looked at him, confused.

"Wait, when you say Death do you mean tall skeletal guy, hooded robe with a big scythe?" he asked, and Dean nodded.

"Yeah."

"Oh my..." Cox said, going pale, as did Marion, Jody, Garth and Missouri.

"But he doesn't have the hooded cloak or the big scythe, it's only a small one." Bobby assured them.

"It's bad enough you want to summon the king of hell into my sitting room, and now you want to summon Death himself? That's a bad move." Missouri said worriedly.

"Too true, because he isn't fond of being summoned. But Dean...we need to stop Lilith either way, I don't see if we have much of a choice." Sam said, looking only at his brother.

"But didn't you say that killing her might start the Apocalypse again?" Jody asked, and Dean frowned.

"Yeah. That's the problem, because if Raphael is multitasking and breaking seals while hunting us while hunting Cas, then killing her will break the final seal." He explained.

"And that means what exactly?" Marion asked, and Sam shuddered.

"It means Lucifer and Michael can bust out of their cage, and can incinerate the planet as they bring about Armageddon, and considering how they get on down there, I doubt they'll even bother to inhabit us, they'll come straight out and obliterate us all." He said, his throat dry and his voice shaking in fear.

"Great. So, do we kill her, yay or nay?" Jody asked, and Garth looked at them.

"Can't you just exorcise her?" he asked hopefully, and Sam shook his head.

"No. She's way too powerful for that. Besides, it would send her back to hell if we did." He said, and Cox looked at him in confusion.

"Surely, sending the evil bitch who blew up half a hospital with her eyes to hell is a good thing?" he asked, not quite getting why it wouldn't be.

"Yes, for a while." Meg conceded, while Bobby shook his head.

"But not for long. If we went her back to hell, firstly, it would put her back in hell, which means she could take Crowley's throne, and I reckon he'd find some way to screw the boys over royally before she took him down, he'd probably kill them or leave them soulless or something. And even if she didn't take back her throne, and Crowley didn't consider it a violation of their deal, she would come back and be seriously, utterly pissed." He said darkly, and Dean sighed.

"We don't have a choice then do we? She has to be killed, no matter what, she's too powerful and she won't let up until Sam and I are in the ground. Which means we have to summon Death." He said nervously, and Missouri shook her head.

"Oh no, sounds like a bad idea to me. I don't want Death in my sitting room, you know how many bad omens that could cause?" she asked, looking for something she could use to bless the house.

"Yeah, he might not be happy with me being a ghost either, you know, denying him business and all." Bobby added.

"And I've got no wish to meet him, I kind of spend my days working to keep people from dying, he might see me as an irritant." Cox said nervously.

"And he won't be my biggest fan being Team Lucifer." Meg said.

"And I've got no rush to see him, after all, I died once and I'd rather not do it again." Marion said frankly.

"Copy that." Jody said.

"And he's a bit out of my league, you know, you guys are the best hunters in the world, I'm a very far second." Garth said, standing.

"Wait, you guys are all going to run off just because we're summoning Death?" Dean demanded, and Sam looked at Dean hesitantly.

"Um, you mean you're summoning Death." He said nervously, and Dean turned to him with an irritated expression.

"What? Why am I summoning Death alone?" he demanded, and Sam grinned at his brother.

"Well, he likes you, you have a rapport with him. The two times he's seen me, once I was screaming because I didn't want my soul back and the second I was hallucinating, and we pissed him off by binding him. He's seen you more often." He reasoned, and Dean glowered at him.

"Yeah, doesn't mean he likes me! He thinks I'm insignificant. And you want to get me to summon him after we bound him last time? I don't think so!"

"But Dean," Sam said whiningly, knowing this would make his brother cave, "we know he prefers you. And besides, I was recently nearly dead again. What if he comes and decided he can't be bothered coming back and just reaps me here and now?" he asked, and Sam knew he had won as he saw Dean's lip tremble.

"No fair, using my protective instincts against me." He pouted, and Sam grinned.

"I'll still be here unlike the rest of these cowards, its just you who'll be doing the summoning." He said brightly, but Dean still glowered at him.

"Coward. I don't like you anymore." He said, turning to the table to prepare to summon Death.

"Liar." Sam said fondly, helping his brother with what he needed.

"I think I'll go and check the coach." Missouri said, and Garth followed her.

"Yeah, I could do with some fresh air. Coming Jody?" Marion asked, and when she nodded he helped her to the door.

"Come on, I'll give you a crash course in demonology." Meg promised Cox and dragged him through to the next room, as she seemed to have taken a liking to him.

"That better be all you do!" Dean yelled after them and looked at Sam apprehensively as he helped him prepare the ritual.

"You ok?" he asked in concern, and Sam nodded.

"Yeah. It's just, with Lilith and remembering all the demon blood stuff, everyone who I hurt, like you..." he said softly and Dean squeezed his shoulder.

"Hey, that's over now Sammy, ok? We're past it. You ok with him being around?" Dean asked, indicating Joshua, and Sam shrugged.

"He's an ass, and he acts like dad. Not a good combination for anyone. And he seems to hate me, he doesn't seem to trust me, is suspicious of me, he thinks I'm still demonic, and he seems like he wants me dead. I can't really blame him though. After all, he is right, I did kill hunters." Sam said softly, and Dean shook his head.

"Sammy, Steve was Meg. Walt and Roy had it coming. And Gordon was a vampire, and his friends were their own stupid fault anyway. And he'll discover just how stupid it is to try and hurt you if he tries anything." He vowed dangerously, and Sam smiled.

"Thanks Dean. Hang on, we need marjoram, I'll see if Missouri has any." He said, shuffling through to the kitchen.

"Bobby?" Dean asked, glaring at Joshua's slumped form.

"Yeah?"

"Keep an eye on Joshua for me. If he tries anything, tries to hurt Sam in any way, I'll kill him." Dean said, and Bobby nodded.

"Agreed." The ghost said gruffly, not at all liking the presence of the other hunter, and Sam returned with the herbs and sprinkled them into the bowl, and Dean, after exchanging a worried look with Sam, began the chant.

The entire room went very cold all of a sudden, and Sam, Dean and Bobby looked around nervously, before Death, tall, skeletal and bemused, appeared before them.

"Oh not again. I seem to recall telling you I would kill you if you summoned me again." Death said in greeting, and Sam shook his head.

"No, you only threatened to kill him if he tried to bind you again, and see, no bonds? Sir." He added respectfully, and Death smiled a little.

"I suppose you're right. I see that you have a little problem with the Leviathans. I did tell that stupid, arrogant little G.I Joe what would happen if he wasn't careful, and now, once again, this paltry little rock is in danger of Armageddon, as the Old Ones are about to devour the entire world." He said in a disappointed tone, sitting down and pouring himself a cup of black coffee.

"Yeah, we got Cas to put the souls back, but the Leviathans held on." Dean admitted, and Death added sugar to his coffee before lifting it to his lips.

"Yes, they always were dangerous, clever creatures. You do know of course that their leader is about to destroy America? And once he has conquered America and has his all you can eat buffet line, he'll move on to the rest of the world. Eventually, only Britain will be left, and there won't be enough humans left to fill up the place. I warned him, warned you, and once more you didn't heed my warning." Death said calmly, and Dean gulped.

"We did, we just...underestimated the Leviathans. They're better than we gave them credit for." He said, and Death nodded.

"Yes, they always were vicious, clever, hungry little monsters. And before you ask, if that is indeed what you summoned me here for, I will not kill the one you call Roman for you, it isn't my place to interfere, and if this planet is about to turn into a killing field, I'll soon be working massive amounts of overtime and would rather conserve my strength."

"But, theoretically, you can reap Leviathans?" Sam asked, and Death nodded.

"Yes Sam I can. God wouldn't have made something neither of us could get rid of, but he loved them too much too, because if he was so afraid of the disgusting little monsters, amusing though they might be, he should have exterminated them. But no, despite me being able to reap them, I had to be because he feared that if they learned of his plans to create angels and humans then they would turn on them, he decreed they should be imprisoned, along with their mother." He said, smiling a little as Dean and Sam's eyes widened.

"Wait, Eve was their mother?" Sam asked huskily, and he nodded.

"Very good Sam, yes. And she was very fond of her babies. If I were you, next time you encounter Roman, I wouldn't mention her. He always was a mummy's boy. He might be a trifle displeased that you killed her." Death advised, and Dean and Sam exchanged nervous glances.

"So, you can reap them. Great." Dean said in false cheer, and Death fixed him with a steely gaze.

"Dean, if this is the prelude to trying to bind me so I will fight your battles for you, I will obliterate you where you stand." He said darkly, and Dean shook his head urgently.

"Oh no, no, nothing like that. Respectfully, we'd like to ask you for a favour." He said, and Death arced an eyebrow sceptically.

"A favour? If it's to do with your ghost friend skulking in the shadows over there, there's nothing that can be done, his fate is already decided. And as for the hunter in the couch over there, he isn't dead yet so I won't do anything with him either." He said, and Sam shook his head, then gave Dean a look.

Dean looked at him pleadingly, then consented.

"We don't want anything to do with them. We'd like, respectfully, to borrow your scythe." Dean said nervously, and he could tell from the small flicker of surprise that the request had caught Death off guard.

"My scythe? And what exactly do you intend to do with that?" he asked curiously.

"Well, I expect you know that we have bad guys coming out of our asses, and we don't really know how to kill some of them. Your scythe might be the only thing that can." Sam said, and Death nodded.

"Yes, my scythe will be able to kill all of the enemies after you, but I presume you really want it for Lilith. After all, there's no sure way to kill her now that your powers are gone, unless you get that arrogant little angel to do it, but somehow I doubt he will be accommodating." Death sniffed, and Dean looked at him excitedly.

"So it will work on her?" he asked, and Death nodded.

"Yes it would. If you can get close enough to use it, and that only depends on if I let you borrow it." He said softly, and Dean looked at Sam, and both of them looked at him pleadingly.

"And can we?" Dean asked, smiling hopefully.

Death stood, looking at them impassively.

"I will consider it. Expect my answer within three days. Oh, by the way Sam, Tessa isn't happy with you, she's been put on probation because you escaped after Zachariah killed you. She also isn't happy that she didn't even get Dean's company when that insane priestess caught you. And even less happy that you didn't die with your blood clot. I think she rather likes you boys. Can't imagine why myself. Now, I must be off." He said, and vanished.

"Well, at least he's considering it." Dean said, clearing away the things.

"Poor Tessa." Sam said sadly, and Dean shook his head.

"Sorry Sammy, but considering she gets marked up for taking you and me on, I'm not really that concerned." He said, and Sam rolled his eyes.

"Bet you'll change your tune next time you die." He said, and Dean grinned.

"Yeah, maybe. Let's go and get the others in." He said, and making sure Sam was in front of him, in catching distance, they went outside just in time to see three people who had just parked cars in the street.

"Billy!" Dean said in surprise as he saw the bulky hunter, complete with grey beard, climbing out of his truck.

"Hi Sam." A young hunter by the name of Diamond said, smiling at Sam, who smiled back, blushing slightly.

"Aunt Marge!" Garth cried and ran to give his aunt a hug.

"Hello boy. We heard you boys were in a bit of trouble, and when Garth told me where you were, I volunteered us to help." Marge said in greeting.

"So, what's the problem?" Diamond asked, flicking her blond hair over her shoulder.

"Yeah, we came all this way for a good scrap, so what's going on?" Billy asked, and Sam and Dean grinned at each other.

Well, they weren't completely friendless. Beckoning them all inside, they began to bring their assembled allies up to speed.

XX

It was quiet in the house. Missouri and Jody were now sharing the main bedroom, with Jody sleeping on a slide out mattress beneath it. Marion and Cox were sharing the guest room, with one of them sleeping in the window seat one night and sleeping in the bed the next. Bobby disappeared as he always did at night. Garth had taken the coach with Marge, Billy and Joshua, much to their disgust. Meg was sleeping on the sofa in the living room, and Diamond was sleeping on the other one. And Sam and Dean were in the attic, Dean having finally moved to his own bed now his brother was awake.

It was pitch black when the door opened. Scenting the air, they climbed through the house, following the way up to the attic, and opened the door quietly. Dean and Sam were both curled up in bed, Dean's camp bed blocking the way to the door, while he was facing his brother, as if watching over him until he had gone to sleep. A rag was pressed against Dean's mouth, and his eyes flew open, and he began kicking his legs, pulling at the hand, sending the covers flapping to the floor off of his boxer clad body, but his fight didn't last long, and his eyes rolled back and he fell into deep unconsciousness.

Sam hadn't heard the brief, silent struggle. He was curled up in his covers, rolled into a ball as they approached. He rolled onto his back, and they froze, thinking he was about to wake up and raise the alarm, but all he did was bring his covers slightly up his bare chest. And then they struck.

Sam's eyes flew open as a rag was pressed to his mouth, his eyes bulging in surprise. He saw who his assailant was and tried to escape, tried to raise the alarm, but the chloroform was already in his system, and his eyes fluttered before he went limp.

He was then thrown bodily over a shoulder and taken from the room, leaving an unconscious Dean behind.

XX

"Wake up! Wake up!" Dean's frantic voice was yelling at dawn the next day.

"Dean, you're going to wake up the entire neighbourhood! What's the matter?" Missouri asked as she stomped out of her room to see the mostly naked hunter looking around frantically.

"Where's the fire?" Marion asked, leaving his own room and rubbing his eyes, as Bobby flickered in.

"It's Sam. There were people in our room last night, they knocked me out. And when I woke up this morning, Sam was gone!"

**The boys just cant catch a break can they? Sam's just woken up and he's been kidnapped, but by which enemy has he been taken, and how long will they be able to keep him before the others are on to their tail?**

**Joshua is a belligerent asshole is he not, the sort of irritating John Winchester (who I never liked) type, and that can only mean trouble. But at least we have a few more friends, and speaking of, is there romance on the cards for either Winchester?  
**

**All our friends bar two are assembled, next one might show up next chapter, I'll see, but the other one is a little later on. And I think we have enough enemies to be going on with, what with seven meant to appear, but you never know.  
**

**And speaking of enemies, what is Crowley up to? What bonus did he put in the contract? I hope I got him right, I am quite fond of Crowley and wanted to get him just right but I dont know if I did or not. And will he find the angel sword, and will the deal bite the boys in the ass?  
**

**And what of Death? Will he lend them the scythe or not?  
**

**Time will tell the answers to all questions!  
**

**I will hopefully update tomorrow, I hope you're enjoying so far, next time we have an encounter with a couple of our enemies for you to look forward to as well, havent decided how many of them yet though.  
**

**Anyway, please read and above all else review, as the action is going to start hotting up very soon!  
**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural**

Bleeding Storm

"Calm down Dean." Bobby said as they all assembled in the living room.

"Calm down? How the hell can I calm down? I just got him back from death's door, the worst bitch we've ever faced wants to use his head as a centrepiece, an obsessive hunter turned vampire is after his blood too, and what's worse someone came in and took right him right out from under our very noses! A house full of hunters, a ghost, a demon and a psychic, and whichever nutter took Sam got all the way through without disturbing anyone, and then took my brother from the same room I was in without so much as breaking a nail!" Dean ranted, and Jody looked at him sympathetically.

"Dean honey, I know you're worried, but worrying yourself sick isn't going to help. First of all, we need to figure out who actually took Sam and why. Then we can go about getting him back." She soothed, and Dean still looked worried.

"How do we know he was actually kidnapped?" Joshua asked grimly, and Bobby glowered at him.

"For once in your life Joshua, keep your mouth shut, because if you go with this where I think you're going, it isn't going to end well." He growled, and Joshua looked at him in contempt.

"You can't order me around ghost. All I'm saying is how do we know Sam didn't invite the ones who kidnapped him in?" he asked, looking around the room in a superior way.

At least until Dean's fist collided with his mouth and sent him to the ground once more.

"Sam isn't evil, he didn't invite them in, and you are going to shut your mouth, or I'm going to vent my frustrations on you." He warned venomously, and Joshua glared up at him but widely kept quiet.

"You getting anything Missouri?" Marge asked, and the other woman shook her head.

"Nothing. There's nothing to indicate who has Sam." She said apologetically, looking at Dean sadly.

"Hang on, you said Lilith and Gordon especially want Sam dead. Stands to reason that it might be one of them." Diamond said, and Bobby nodded, conceding the point.

"Yeah, and if they are behind it, it's most likely the vampires, demons wouldn't be able to nab Sam quietly, they'd make a noise, especially considering she relies on hellhounds so much. I'm willing to go with the vampire theory." He said, and Marion frowned.

"Yes, but even if the vampires have him, how do we find him so we can get him back?" he asked, and Cox frowned.

"Well, they're attracted by blood aren't they? And their leader, this Gordon, seems to be particularly interested in Sam. And what's the one thing he can do to Sam that he knows will hurt him?" he asked, looking significantly at Dean, and Meg smiled.

"Hurt his precious big brother. You want to use Dean as a lure?" she asked, and Cox shrugged.

"I'm just throwing ideas around, but would it work? We basically tart Dean up," he began, and Dean cut him off, looking insulted.

"Excuse me, you are not going to 'tart' me up!" he protested, but Cox ignored him.

"And let Gordon find him, we then follow them back to where Sam is and bust him out." He said, and Billy nodded, his great head bobbing.

"Would make sense. If there's one things you boys are famous for it's how much you're willing to do for each other. They might even take the bait." He reasoned, and Garth nodded.

"Yeah, but it seems stupid to have all of us go after the vampires, if it is them. There are only seven of them." He said, but Missouri shook her head.

"Even seven vampires is a nastier set of odds than I would like. And let's not forget, as Dean said they managed to sneak in here, with so many people who's life's goal is to put as many of them down as possible and take Sam. And that isn't the only problem. If one of the groups after you boys finds out the vamps might have Sam, they're going to be on them like a fly around crap." She said worriedly, and Dean nodded.

"You're right. But so is Cox. We need to figure out who actually has Sam, and then we can make our moves from there. And that will mean we need to get to Sam before any of the other bad guys realise where he is, otherwise, he might not get out of there." He said, fear for his little brother gripping his heart as the others nodded and began to get ready.

"Hang in there little brother, we're coming." He promised, hoping Sam would hear him.

XX

"There is still no sign of the Winchesters." Amio reported timidly, and Raphael clenched his fist in irritation.

He had plans to carry out, which he required the Winchesters for. It was an unfortunate fact, but that's how it was. However, while he needed the boys in order to restart the Apocalypse, and also wanted to find Castiel, if he was to head off the plans of the Leviathans before they destroyed the world, which would in turn prevent the bringing about of Paradise, he needed to start his plans now, whether he had access to the Winchesters or not.

Apronia looked at her commander curiously.

"Will Lilith's death free Lucifer and Michael from the cage?" she asked, and Raphael shook his head.

"Not if we do not hurry up. We must begin breaking other seals, and we need the demons to do the same." He said, pacing around the room with his hands clasped behind his back.

"But I thought the first seal was the spilling of the blood caused by a righteous man in hell?" she asked curiously, and he smiled grimly.

"Yes it is. However, something else also meets those requirements. When a righteous man sheds his own blood as part of a twisted mind game organised by his captors. Basically, a man attempting to commit suicide while within hell, shedding his own blood while down there, acts as a seal. And that has already been done." He said smugly, and Owen looked at him in delight.

"So this time round, Sam broke the first seal?" he asked excitedly, and Raphael shook his head.

"No. This time around someone related to the brothers by blood still broke it. It was all very well and good when Sam was still down there in hell with him, but after his big brother liberated him from the cage with Death's help, well, let's just say Michael and Lucifer had to find new ways to keep themselves entertained. And as Adam suddenly became their only roommate, the poor boy didn't really stand a chance.

I will say this for Sam Winchester, he has a much stronger threshold than any other human in the world. He can cope with things that would destroy lesser humans. I almost admire him for it. After all, I know full well how twisted my big brother's mind is, and Michael's, when pushed the right way, is just as bad. Poor little Adam was left all alone by both big brothers, and conveniently forgotten about. I might even raise the poor boy, not that there will be much left to raise considering how long he has been down there. He isn't nearly as strong as Sam. Either way, the first seal is once more broken, and we must accelerate our plans and begin breaking the others, regardless of whether or not we have the Winchesters." He said darkly, and they nodded, though Mary looked concerned.

"But we do not have enough power. We were your chosen few who you revealed yourself too, and heaven is still in chaos due to the actions of that traitor Castiel. We need as many angels as we can to help bring about the end of sixty four more seals, and it will be very difficult to do it." She said, and Amio looked in concern at the archangel.

"So if the Winchesters kill Lilith, it will restart the Apocalypse?" he asked, and Raphael nodded.

"Yes, which is what we want. But we only want it to be done after we have broken more seals. And Lilith I fear will not listen to reason, she only wants Sam Winchester, which while it helps for the final seal it doesn't help us much at the moment. And Crowley does not want an Apocalypse, so we are on our own. Contact Hester and Inias, have them rally what is left of the traitor's garrison, and tell them an archangel is returned to them to lead them to Paradise. And meanwhile, I will try and locate Virgil, and he can keep an eye on the Winchesters while we deal with the Apocalypse." He said, drawing a symbol on the wall of the room they were in.

"As you wish." The four retainers said, but Amio looked around in concern.

Raphael was trying to bring down the world and take the angels to Paradise by instigating the final battle. He didn't want to be in an Apocalypse, he found humans amusing creatures, he didn't hate them as most of the others seemed to. And now, Raphael wasn't even bothering to hide what he was up to, unlike the last time, this time he was actively going to be encouraging the breaking of seals to bring about the Apocalypse.

It was all the fault of the traitor Castiel, due to him, no one would even care that Raphael was trying to start the Apocalypse, they would all quite happily see humanity put to the torch because of the damage just two of them had caused by refusing to do what they were meant to do in the grand design. Heaven had been decimated by the Apocalypse, the civil war that had followed, and the traitor's brief reign as 'god', so much so that the angels were now outnumbered three to one by demons, and if they were animals, they would be placed on the endangered species list. Despite Raphael's powers, there were no guarantees that they would come out better from an Apocalypse.

And Hester, the new leader of the garrison, well she wasn't exactly all there. She was emotional, angry, furious that humans had dared caused so much harm, hurt that Castiel had betrayed them so thoroughly, mourning for all the friends that she had lost due to the Apocalypse and would most likely happily see the world burn, and humanity wiped out. She thought of humans as ungrateful little ingrates, all because two of them had refused to play their game, had refused the roles destiny had set for them, flouting every authority she believed in, and it had severely shaken her faith and along with that, her grip on reality.

Yes, between Raphael and Hester, the planet was in severe danger, and Amio had no interest in seeing the world put to torch, especially when there was no guarantee that their plan would even work, and even if the boy Adam had broken the first seal, the king of hell would be trying to prevent them from breaking seals as would others. There weren't even any guarantees that this would work.

Still, he was an angel and had a job to do, no matter how much he disagreed with it, so he headed off to try and find Inias, another member of Castiel's old garrison. But, the feeling of worry and rebellion within him was growing.

XX

Dick Roman, the leader of the Leviathans, looked over the report in satisfaction. Everything was ready, the corn syrup was spreading throughout America and very soon every person in the country would be mindless zombies, just sitting there to be eaten.

But, he did have to admit that he was concerned. That idiot he had placed within the FBI, who was currently chasing the Winchesters and considering his lack of reporting in had most likely lost them, had reported that an archangel and the alpha demon had both escaped from Purgatory at the same time as he had. And that meant that they could be trying to restart the Apocalypse, and if they did so, then the Leviathans wouldn't inherit the world, the world would be torched by the angels and demons as they battled for supremacy.

Frankly, any Apocalypse but their own, fast food version was not on the table. He couldn't allow Lucifer and Michael to burn humanity off the map, and while Leviathans had nothing to fear from normal rank and file angels, the three archangels if they were gathered could certainly seriously damage all of them considerably, if not kill them. No, the possibility of the Apocalypse restarting simply was not acceptable, it was the turn of the Leviathans, now that 'God' had freed them from Purgatory, it was finally time that they re-established themselves at the top of the food chain. They were so close now to the endgame, to their domination of this massive all you can eat buffet that the presence of beings that could easily bring about the Apocalypse was a hindrance, even if it was distracting those blasted Winchesters from what he was up to.

Roman moved over to his window, looking out at the city as he contemplated what Raphael and Lilith would need to restart the Apocalypse. From an angel that they had captured who had foolishly tried to banish them back to Purgatory, they had learned that the vast majority of the weapons of heaven had been destroyed by Castiel when he had been consumed with the souls. That ruled out that method of opening the cage. The four rings of the horsemen couldn't be used, because other than Death, the other three were entombed until the Apocalypse actually begun. And that meant that the archangel had to be breaking seals again in order to bring it about. That meant the Alpha Demon had to survive, either that or die before the final sixty fifth seal was broken, and that way, their Apocalypse could never be brought about.

Either way, the presence of Lilith and Raphael was a threat to his plans, and it was a threat that he had to stop before it destroyed them completely. And if the archangel was about to start trying to break seals, he had to take steps to make sure the rest were not broken. Snorting in disgust at the situation, he buzzed through for his assistant.

"Suzan, contact Valente and order him that he is to kill the Winchesters if he can. And also tell him that if he can, he is to kill Lilith and Raphael. And then alert all section heads, I want to be on top of any seal breaking before it begins." He ordered.

"Yes sir." She answered briskly.

Roman shook his head as he looked out of the window. Here he was, indirectly trying to save the world from demons and angels, something that those blasted Winchesters did on a daily basis. Growling at the irony, he vowed that the next time he saw a bottom feeder or a prissy ponce he would rip their heads off with his bare hands. The time of angels, demons and humans was over.

The time of the Leviathans had come again.

And anyone, human, angel or demon trying to prevent their return to power would soon learn just how powerful and nasty a creature he could be.

XX

"You want me to what?" Valente hissed in fury down the phone.

"Dick has given you your orders. If you cannot stop the Alpha demon and the archangel on your own, then you must ally with the Winchesters. The angel intends to restart their Apocalypse, and that might very well burn us off the map. He wants to prevent that. So, you either kill the Winchesters, and I don't have high hopes that you will do that seeing as you have failed so drastically in the past, kill the angel or demon, which I also doubt, or you work with the Winchesters and let them do the job for you, before you kill them...if you can." Suzan said snottily, and Valente roared in fury, and was countered by a roar from the other end.

"Those are your orders." She growled, and he hung up the phone.

"New orders?" Featherstone, the nurse, now dressed all in black with a sour face, asked.

"Yes. We are to focus on killing the Winchesters, the alpha and the archangel, and if we can't, we are to ally with the Winchesters so that they can kill them for us." He snarled, insulted by the insinuation that he couldn't manage his job.

"Work with them? After all the trouble they've caused? Why?" Villar demanded, and Valente snarled.

"Because they are working to restart the Apocalypse, and we aren't ready to move our own one forward yet. Now, it's a race." He said, snarling and lashing his teeth as they drove onwards.

"Not to worry. I picked up on a Winchester's scent when you were on the phone. I think they're somewhere in Kansas." Featherstone said as she took them down to the highway into the state.

Valente smiled. Good. He would finally be free of the Winchesters, and when he was done with them, no one would ever question his competence again.

XX

The FBI truck was quiet once more, as it had been the last few days. After the escaping Winchesters had shaken them, they had sat in stunned silence, trying to absorb what was going on. Monsters, angels, demons, and the Winchesters were right in the middle.

Reynolds shook his head. He had known Valente since school, they had joined the FBI together, how long had he been a monster? Had he always been one? It just didn't make sense.

"We need to find the Winchesters, the eldest killed my brother!" Charlie spat in response to a suggestion they go home and ask for more back up.

Charlie's tune had been much the same the last few days, saying he didn't care about the existence of monsters, and protesting that all he wanted was to hunt down his brother's killer. Reynolds had learned to ignore him, but even so his frequent demands were getting a little wearing, especially after he had told them all that Valente was actually the one who had slaughtered the Brandon police force, though he still blamed Dean Winchester for it, arguing that Valente had been there for him, and no one had reminded Charlie that he had been the one who had summoned the FBI, and hence Valente, to Brandon in the first place. Something made Reynolds think that he would blame Dean for the outbreak of World War One given half a chance.

"Sir, we have a potential lead on the coach, it was seen entering Kansas a few days ago, and no one has seen it since, so it might still be in the state." Potter argued grimly, hoping they would get a chance to even the score with these monsters.

"Good work. Check any known friends of the Winchesters who live in Kansas." He ordered, and Potter clicked at the computer, and smiled.

"Sir, I think we've struck gold. The Winchesters both lived here when they were kids before the death of their mother in a house fire. And rumour has it they used to know a psychic called Missouri Mosley in Lawrence, also where they stayed." Potter said excitedly, and Charlie shoved Reynolds out of the way so he could get to see the screen.

"That's it, the Winchesters have to be there!" he said in excitement, and Reynolds rolled his eyes but nodded.

"Yes they might be. So, take us to Lawrence. And this time we're bringing all the weapons we can get our hands on, I don't want to lose anyone else." He said, and Charlie shook his head.

"Guns don't work on Valente." He said, and Reynolds frowned.

"I thought they might not. That's why we're going to take all the weapons. They aren't escaping this time." He vowed as they headed towards Kansas.

XX

Lilith was looking into a goblet, filled with blood she had harvested from a child, just like in her own stash. And now, she was seeing that the vampires she had hired had kidnapped Sam, and were holding him in a warehouse outside of Lawrence.

"Blasted leeches, they've taken my prize. They're in Kansas, I suggest you get me there in good time." She hissed, and her driver nodded, stepping on the pedal and sending her new limo hurtling up the motorway.

XX

Sam awoke groggily, and when he realised he was only clad in his boxers, and bound to a wall, his immediate fear was that Becky had somehow returned from the dead and had gotten her hands on him again. As his mind woke up, he realised that while it wasn't Becky who had him in her grasp, it was nearly as bad.

The seven vampires that Dean had described were all here, all looking at him hungrily and hatefully, but none matched the intense stare of the one in the centre, dark skinned, wide eyed, vampire fanged, clad in a red shirt and advancing on Sam in a predatory fashion.

"Hello Sammy." He said, grinning evilly, and Sam glowered at him.

"Gordon. I told you, only Dean gets to call me that." He snarled in greeting.

Gordon smiled, before smacking Sam in the face, and Sam, his wrists bound to the wall by manacle as were his legs, gasped and shook at the pain, but could do nothing else, his arms trapped down by his waist.

"You know, all the time I was in Purgatory, all I had going through my head was you." Gordon said conversationally, sitting on the table that was laid out with several wicked looking implements.

Sam glowered at the hunter, and decided to take his brother's traditional response to such a comment.

"I'm very flattered Gordon, but I'm just not that way inclined. You'd even give the Twilight vampires a bad name." He said cockily, and Gordon hissed at him, before running his sharp fingernail along Sam's bare stomach, drawing blood.

"Not what I meant Sam. You, an arrogant little demon sleeper agent, infiltrated into the world, picking off good hunters like John Winchester and Steve Wandell, one by one, as your evil becomes more and more apparent. And that dumb ass brother of yours kept trying to protect you too, didn't think you were all bad. You'd be surprised how much people talk in Purgatory. All we can do is prey on each other, interrogate each other, and kill them but that only makes them appear somewhere else, more dangerous and damaged than before. And all I heard were what you were doing Sam. Drinking demon blood, 'saving people', all the while screwing a demon and working to bring about the Apocalypse. And the ironic thing was, you killed me for warning that you would become exactly what you became." Gordon said, and Sam squirmed in his bindings.

"I was stupid yeah, I was also manipulated. But you were trying to kill me long before that, just because you thought I might be evil. Tell me, who was the worst out the two of us?" he asked, and the other vampires looked at their leader as he chuckled darkly.

"It was always you Sam. Imagine how much I could have done if I had killed you like the poisonous traitor you were. But no, big brother Dean wouldn't let me. He was a good hunter once. You destroyed him." Gordon said, picking up a crude whip fashioned from barbed wire, and Sam squirmed as he knew what he intended to do with that.

"Dean is the best hunter in the world, and is a million times better than you ever were." He sneered, and Gordon growled in anger.

"He was no good hunter. My sister was turned to a vampire, and I put her down like the monster she was. That's our job. And he couldn't do that for you, and look how many lives he cost, all because he wasn't strong enough to kill you." He spat, and Sam glowered at him hatefully.

"And how many lives did you cost by becoming a vampire huh? You knew Dean and I were in town when you were turned, and we'd have quite happily put you down like the animal you are, but no, you went native!" he condemned, and Gordon lashed him with the barbed wire whip, and Sam screamed in pain as a chunk of flesh was ruined by the impact, blood running down his stomach.

"Don't compare me to you! You were born a monster, consumed with evil, trying to bring about the end of the world! I had no choice!" he roared, and Sam looked at him furiously, ignoring the blood that was running all over his stomach.

"I wasn't born evil, and I was trying to save the world. That's what pisses me off about people like you, Walt and Roy, Joshua, you all think we had a choice, we were being played from day one to do everything we did, but because we didn't let them win, this stupid, godforsaken planet is still here! You decided I was evil before you had any evidence, and then you made my life a living hell as you kept trying to kill me to prevent some far off threat. You hunted me before I'd done anything to deserve it, simply because you thought you knew better than us. And look where it got you. Your obsession with killing me, with killing vampires, it got you turned into one, which was no more than you deserved. And even when you were a vampire, you still couldn't kill me, and instead you got yourself sent straight to Purgatory minus a head you son of a bitch." Sam growled, and Gordon then lunged at him, pushing the barbed wire whip into Sam's neck, and Sam gasped in pain as it dug in to his neck, blood trickling down it, and Sam was thrashing, but rather than decapitating him like he had done to Gordon, the vampire leader let go, and Sam was gasping for air, the whip having disrupted his blood and air supply.

"Now now Sam, you don't want to make me lose my temper. After all, for the first few months in Purgatory, I was always short of breath, and gasping for air, it felt like I had something in my throat that I couldn't get rid of, all because of you. Do you have any idea how horrible it is seeing the thing you hate, the thing you want dead, imprinted upon your brain? You decapitated me the last time we met Sam, and I knew that I couldn't put you down like the monster you are, and that tormented me more than anything. And it was all because of you!" he barked, and punched Sam in the stomach, making Sam wheeze and pitch forwards as far as he could, as he spat up a little blood that had went down his throat when he had bit his tongue as a result of the punch.

"You were up here, causing havoc, destroying the world like the demonic bastard you are, and I was stuck in Purgatory with no way to stop you, and it, well it pissed me off Sam. You were going to become as evil as the things I hunted, and help them destroy the world, and I couldn't do a thing to stop it." He growled, and Sam rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, but we stopped it. We saved the world, I put Lucifer back in the cage, and I'm not evil." He said, knowing he was wasting his breath, and Gordon laughed.

"Very true. All you did was simply make matters worse every time, after all, these Leviathans are your fault too I hear. Your brother might have stopped that fricking angel if he hadn't been worrying about his demon brother, who ought to have stayed in the very bottom of hell where he belonged. All you've ever done is cause pain, hurt and death Sam, and I'm not going to let you destroy this world any longer. You're evil through and through Sam, and now, like a good hunter, I'm putting you down like the beast you are." Gordon said smugly, triumphant, his eyes glowing with malice, and Sam struggled against his bonds.

"If I'm evil, what does that make you?" Sam spat, and Gordon laughed.

"A simple hunter, hunting down and putting down threats, just like you." He snarled, revealing a small box.

"I'm not a threat anymore." Sam said tightly, and Gordon shrugged.

"Either way, I don't really care. You decapitated me Sam, and I'm not one who forgives insults easily, as you may remember. It was your fault I became a vampire, your fault the world was doomed, your fault your brother stopped being a good hunter, your fault he died, your fault the world went to hell, all because you were a demon soldier working for evil. Well, now it's over, and I'm through. And so are you." He snarled, and Sam turned his head away.

He knew Gordon was only saying the stuff to bait him, to get to him, but what if it was his fault Dean had become what he did, a miserable drunken mess? Sam forced down the feeling, Dean was better now, and he knew Dean didn't blame him, but that didn't help the feeling of guilt that was rising inside him. Suppressing it, he turned back to look at Gordon, who was opening a small, flat box, and inside were three syringes filled with blood.

"What the hell are you doing now?" Sam demanded, and Gordon smiled.

"We're going to play a little game Sam. As you can see, there's three vials of blood. One is human, so, depending on your blood type, it may or may not affect you. One is demon blood." He said, enjoying the look of disgusted fear that appeared on Sam's face.

"You keep telling me you're not demonic Sam, so I figured, why not remind you of how you used to be? Might even give you a fighting chance, if you use your powers again." He said, and Sam began struggling harder, hating Gordon.

"And the last vial is my own blood, vampire blood, and if you pick that one, you get turned into a vampire. Personally, I'm hoping for that one. I will go for the other two, because the first has a chance of killing you, and the second means we get to kill you...but I want you to pick my blood Sam." He said, walking over to Sam and patting his cheek.

"I want you to pick the blood that means you become like me, the blood that makes you a reflection of the monster you really are. The blood that will devastate superhero big brother, totally destroy him. I want to see the look on his face when he realises he has to rip your head off just like you ripped off mine." Gordon said excitedly, and Sam shivered in fear as Gordon presented the box to him.

"You sick bastard Gordon." Sam spat, trying to pull away from the vampire, and he could see the others looking on in excitement.

"No more little demon Sam. I'm only doing my job as a hunter Sam, that's all. Killing the evil soldiers of the devil, before they destroy the world. And getting revenge for my own death into the bargain. And after all, you never know...Dean might even thank me!" he said brightly, and Sam shook his head violently, knowing his brother would never do that.

"Dean is going to kill you." Sam vowed viciously, and Gordon laughed.

"I'm sure you want to think that Sam...but pretty soon he's going to be dead too, so I'm not really that concerned. Now, let's begin the game! Eeny, meeny, miny, mo, catch a demon by the toe, if it's Sam, let it go, eeny, meeny, miny...mo!" Gordon cried in joy as he picked up the first syringe.

"No, don't, go to hell you sick son of a bitch." Sam snarled, thrashing about in his bonds, and Gordon chuckled darkly.

"Been there Sam. It sucks. Much prefer it here, where I can make your life hell. Now, what was in syringe number one?" he asked cheerfully to the crowd of vampires behind him.

"Let it be demon!" Verity cried, to muttered agreements.

"Nah, human, with any luck, it'll hurt him!" Niall called.

"No, we want it to be vampire." Grant said, licking his lips as he studied the bloodied, terrified and struggling form of Sam.

"Dean will kill you for this." Sam spat, and Gordon smiled sickly.

"No he won't." He said smugly, bringing the needle close to Sam's struggling body.

"No, don't! Please!" Sam begged, as the needle entered his skin and he cried out in pain.

XX

The group was ready. After falling numerous rumours all day, they had discovered that an old factory, that had been abandoned since the last time they had visited the town, had suddenly developed people going in and out of it again the night before. Dean was poised as they entered the outskirts of the factory, an old timber mill. Ironic considering where they had first met Gordon. Growling, Dean wrapped his hand around his machete, vowing to slice Gordon's head off as soon as he saw him.

He, Diamond, Billy, Bobby, Garth and Marion were all there, and Marge was waiting to pick them up in the coach when they got Sam. They sheltered behind a water tower, when Bobby frowned ahead.

"Dean, there's someone up there." He said worriedly, pointing to someone who was watching the factory just like they were.

"Another nasty?" Billy asked, and Dean frowned.

"Doubt it. The angels would just drop in, the dragon would be up in the air, the Leviathans would just barge in, so would the demons, the only ones who might be doing it are the humans." He said, and Diamond squinted, her blue eyes narrowed as she tried to make them out.

"Any female humans?" she asked curiously, and Dean shook his head.

"No they were all guys." Dean answered, and Marion looked at him hopefully.

"Someone on our side?" he asked, and Dean shrugged.

"With a bit of luck." He said, and found a small rock and sent it bouncing towards the person shrouded in shadows.

They turned at the noise, their gun raised, and Billy and Garth levelled their guns at them, before the person put their hands up in a gesture of surrender, and walked out, and Dean sighed in relief as she saw who it was. True, he hadn't seen her in years, but he still recognised her.

"Tamara." He said in surprise as she approached, smiling.

Tamara had been a hunter they had met on their first hunt after Cold Oak, when they were trying to catch all the demons who had been set loose by the devil's gate opening. Her husband had been killed by one of the seven deadly sins, and Dean hadn't seen her since.

"Dean! I didn't expect to see you here. You trying to muscle in on my action?" she asked as she crouched down beside him.

"No, unless you're here to kill the vampire son of a bitch who kidnapped my brother." Dean growled, and her eyes widened in understanding.

"Oh, I wondered why they didn't stop. I was just finishing off a hunt, werewolf, when I saw a bunch of vampires drive past in a fan. I was bleeding so I was a bit shocked that they didn't stop to finish me off, but now I know why. They were chasing you." She said, and the others greeted her.

"So what, you chased them? You off your nut?" Billy demanded gruffly, and she shrugged.

"Well, I needed anew hunt, followed them here, they vanished inside after daybreak, patched myself up and I came out here to go and get them." She said, and Diamond looked at her, unimpressed.

"One of you against seven of them?" she asked, and Tamara looked a little sheepish.

"I was only going to scout tonight." She protested, and Dean shook his head.

"No need now, the cavalry's here. The lead vampire wants Sam dead, and getting Sam out is the priority." Dean said, and she nodded.

"Seems fair to me. Why's he want your brother?" she asked in concern, and Dean glowered.

"Because he thinks my brother's evil, and deserves to die. And Sam killed him once before, so he's a little pissed about that too I expect. He kidnapped Sam from right under my nose." Dean said, hating himself, and she frowned.

"Nice guy. You going right for him?" Tamara asked, and Dean shook his head.

"No, I'm going right for Sam. But we better hurry, or vampires will be the least of our worries. We're going in Marge." He said into a walkie talkie, and received an affirmative.

"Hang on, can't Bobby lend a hand? You know, go on ahead and have a poke around?" Diamond asked hopefully, and the ghost flickered away.

"Good idea." Garth said, winking at the girl, and Dean shook his head, how could he be flirting when Sam was in danger?

"It's good to have you with us Tamara. Now, where'd I put it? Ah, here it is." Billy said, sticking a cigar in his mouth and lighting it, making them all gag on the smell.

"Billy, seriously?" Tamara demanded angrily, and he grinned.

"Never go killing without it. Gives you a good boost. And besides, if the beastie knocks it out of your gob, it makes you more pissed off, makes it easier to kill him." He said, preparing his gun.

"Right, I go for Sam, you guys, deal with the vampires. Everyone got their machetes?" Dean asked, having found himself the leader of this little group, and they all nodded, just as Bobby flickered back, looking pale.

"Dean...Gordon has him, and he's injecting him with blood. And considering the other vampires are shouting things like demon and vampire, i'm assuming that isn't good." He said worriedly, and Dean's heart went cold.

The bastard was up to one of two things, or up to both. Either he was trying to get Sam hooked on demon blood again, or he was trying to turn him into a vampire. Either way, it was bad news, and even worse if he was doing both.

"Let's go." Dean said, and the group of hunters ran for the factory door, Bobby flickering ahead and opening the doors wide for them.

The vampires hissed as the hunters entered, and Garth and Diamond immediately started shooting, Ramoa and Jessie falling to bullets to the head, howling in pain as they did so. However, the others were not quite so quick to fall, and Grant leapt at Dean, who shouldered past him, determined to get to his brother, leaving Marion to shoot the second vampire in the face. Verity launched herself at Billy, knocking him off his feet, and Tamara swung her knife up at the vampire, making her back off. Peter sprang for Marion, only to be tackled by Bobby appearing solid in his way. As the battle raged behind him, Dean dashed to save his little brother, before Gordon put the final syringe of blood into him.

XX

To Gordon's great disappointment, the first transfusion had been the human one. But, it turned out that whatever blood type its unfortunate owner was, they were different from Sam's. Sam had begun to shake, sweat appearing on his forehead and chest as he did so, his eyes wide and his mouth open as if gasping for a drink of water. Blotches appeared on his skin as it happened, and his lips slightly grew in size.

"Bastard..." Sam had breathed weakly, and Gordon had then selected the second syringe, and had been delighted to learn that it was full of demon blood.

Sam had struggled hard, not wanting that stuff in his body again. Weak as he was though due to his body fighting the other blood, he couldn't put up much of a fight, and Gordon had gleefully stuck it into him, and Sam had felt the acidic blood coursing through his veins. Not again, he wouldn't be seduced by it again, he never wanted it in him again, but he felt his headache grow as soon as it entered him, the feeling of the blood running through him. Sam struggled, fears of what would happen when Dean find out, he would kill him, he would abandon him, he would call him a monster again, he didn't want to lose Dean again, he couldn't lose Dean again. The demon blood circled through his body, pumping through his veins, his headache growing, his hands and legs shaking, his eyes dilating, and he felt a small tingle of power enter into his fingers again. No, he wouldn't, he couldn't, not this again.

"There you go Sam! Don't you feel better now that you aren't pretending anymore? Now you're your true self again! Feel the blood pumping through you, you have you freak powers, use them on me! I know you want to. Prove me right I dare you." Gordon gloated, and Sam shook his head, forcing down the urge to move his hands and try and tap into his long dormant powers, and he continued to react badly to the bloods that were colliding with his own.

Gordon had just picked up the final vial when the doors had opened, and Sam had seen Dean rush through the room, shouldering Grant out of the way to get to Sam, his eyes frantic with worry, raising his gun at the vampire. Gordon hissed angrily, standing right beside Sam, and Sam was shaking his head, begging him not to do what he knew was about to come next.

"Stop right there Dean!" Gordon snapped, and Dean came to a stop, his eyes taking in his weak and shaking baby brother, who was looking at Dean apologetically, as though he was about to be sick, and his eyes travelled to his damaged throat and to his damaged belly, and Dean wanted nothing more than to kill the son of a bitch who had done that to Sam.

"What did you do to him you sick piece of shit?" Dean growled, and Gordon grinned.

"Well, we played a little game. He picked the human blood first. Pity though, turns out it was a different blood type, so now he's having an allergic reaction. Makes him smell nasty." Gordon gloated and Sam had tears in his eyes and was refusing to look at Dean, and more than anything else, that was scaring him.

"Sammy?" he asked desperately, but Sam was turned away from him as though ashamed, as though scared of Dean.

"And then, I injected him with a little demon blood." Gordon said maliciously, and Dean stared hard at the vampire.

"You injected him with demon blood?" he demanded angrily, his brother's scared behaviour finally making sense.

"I'm sorry...there was nothing I could do...I swear I didn't want it Dean, I didn't want to take it, he made me, I couldn't do anything, I'm so sorry..." Sam sobbed, and Dean felt his heart break as he saw his brother cry while he was still shaking, petrified his brother would turn against him for something he had no control over, shaking with his reaction, the blood he didn't want, the disease, and with fear and sadness.

"He won't want you now Sam, not now I've taken you back to that edge!" Gordon gloated, and Sam sobbed slightly, making the evil vampire laugh in delight.

"You've gone too far Gordon. I'm going to kill you, slowly and painfully for what you've done to him." Dean swore, and Gordon scoffed.

"Now now Dean. Poor little baby brother currently has two types of blood rushing around his body, demon and human. And if you make one wrong move, well, then you'll have to kill poor little Sammy too. See, this last one has vampire blood in it. And rumour has it you know what that does." He gloated, and Dean, totally deaf to the sounds behind him, looked at Sam, wishing Sam would look at him, but Sam was still shaking, still crying, still weak and still not looking at his brother as though he were afraid to see Dean's expression when he looked at him.

"Don't you dare." Dean growled, and Gordon smiled.

"If you don't want me to, I suggest you call off your friends. It's quite clear we won't escape, so a truce. I call off mine and don't turn poor, cry baby Sammy, and you call off yours and let us walk on out of here." Gordon said smugly, realising that with the hunters, who were admittedly doing rather well against his nest, appointing Dean as a leader, anything that could hurt Sam would automatically win them a pass out of here.

"Sam..." Dean said, his voice scared, his hands wavering, the thought of Sam becoming a vampire terrifying him even more than the thought of him being injected with two types of blood that could kill him.

"Tick tock Dean." Gordon warned, raising the syringe to inject Sam once more, and Sam thrashed, as though to make it harder for him to get him.

"Fine. All of you, stand down!" Dean yelled, and Gordon nodded and repeated the order.

The hunters all backed one way, their weapons raised at the vampires, and the vampires, cut but none dead, all glared at the hunters, ready to attack at a second's notice.

"Dean..." Sam pleaded, and Dean looked at his little brother, seeing how wide his eyes were, how pale he was, the dark blotches appearing on his skin, the sweat glistening on his forehead and his bare chest, his hair becoming limp and wet, his pained expression, and Dean suppressed a shiver, and he shook his head at Sam, and Sam unfortunately seemed to accept this gesture as a condemnation and hung his head, tears falling from his eyes.

Dean cursed his stupidity. After everything, of course Sam would think Dean shaking his head was a sign of him being disappointed, but in reality, he was proud, Sam was fighting hard, he didn't want it, wasn't even interested.

"Now...let's just get out of here. Good luck with Sam." Gordon said, vowing to finish his business another time.

The doors then disintegrated and Lilith, clad this time in a black fur coat, and from the sounds of it, flanked by hellhounds, strolled into the factory, to be met by the hostile stares of the vampires and the raised weapons of the hunters. Gordon hissed at her, and Sam looked up and saw her, and trembled in fear.

"Hello Sam." She said coyly, and gave him a beautiful smile that also appeared sinister as she strolled into the factory.

"Lilith..." Sam breathed in fear as she entered, and she stopped, sniffing in his direction and smiled in delight.

"Well well, look who's back on the demon blood. However...it isn't enough Sam. You know it isn't. You'd barely be able to poke a demon with that little bit in your system, surely you didn't intend to kill me with only a few drops of blood?" she asked, walking as though on a catwalk towards the raised platform where he, Dean and Gordon were.

"Wait, so there isn't enough to do anything?" Dean asked, and she looked at him sceptically.

"Why the interest? No, there isn't enough for him to use his Jedi mind tricks again. But, addiction," she said, realising what Dean was really scared of, "well I fear that may now be inevitable now he's tasted it again." She said, before turning contemtpusouly to Gordon.

"You better not have made him one of you vampire, I dislike having my prey stolen from me." She hissed, and the other hunters were looking at Dean for instructions, but he shook his head.

Gordon smiled.

"Now demon, just hold your horses. See, this vial I have aimed at Sam's artery will turn him into one of me. So, unless you want him as a vampire, I suggest you do as Dean is and let us go." He said, and Lilith narrowed her eyes.

"You dare dictate to me?" she hissed, and Dean could tell that this wasn't going to end well.

Gordon didn't get to answer as a van roared into the building, coming to a stop and dispelling the four heavily armed FBI men and Charlie. Marion shot Charlie a look of loathing before bringing his gun to bear on him, while the FBI turned their weapons onto the vampires, demons and hunters.

"All of you, drop your weapons now!" Reynolds barked, and Lilith looked at them as though she was bored by their interruption.

"Human insects." She sneered dismissively, just as a side door opened and Valente walked in with Villar and Featherstone.

"Leeches, bottom feeders and gnats. It looks like a feast to me." Villar said, roaring.

"I'll take the leeches." Featherstone said in an excited tone, preparing to leap at Verity, who was closest.

"Geriatric old fools." Lilith said in disdain as she beheld the Leviathans.

Dean groaned. Humans, hunters, vampires, demons and Leviathans. How the hell did they get into this mess for the second time this week?

"Very well vampire, you have your terms. Though I will kill you the next time I see you. Leave Sam Winchester alone and take your fanged friends and leave. He belongs to me." Lilith said, and Reynolds pointed his gun at her.

"I don't think so. Both Winchesters are under arrest." He said, and she looked at him dismissively.

"And you think I care what you want you arrogant little toy soldier?" she asked in a deadly voice that chilled Reynolds to the core.

"I want Dean, you can have Sam if you want." Charlie said boldly, and Reynolds looked at him in anger for not keeping his mouth shut.

"To think I took you under my wing boy." Marion spat in disgust.

"Thing is, you're all inclined to kill those boys, and we aren't inclined to let that happen." Billy warned, still smoking his cigar.

"What you want human is even more irrelevant. The Winchesters are coming with us." Valente said, indicating to Villar that he should move for Lilith.

"Well, it seems to me like we aren't getting out of here without upsetting someone. So, why don't we all just put our weapons down and walk on home? And Dean, I would hurry, your addicted little brother is already craving more demon blood." Gordon gloated, and Dean looked at Sam desperately.

He knew what Sam craving blood looked like, and that wasn't it. That was his brother burning up because of the clashing blood types in his system. He had to get him to Cox, but how was he going to when the vampires, demons, Leviathans and FBI had them outnumbered?

"Madam, if you would come down from there, we can settle this calmly." One agent, Yule, said, and Dean winced, and nodded to the others, knowing that this was about to get violent.

"You presume to order me? Arrogant little insect." She said, and her eyes flashed white, and Yule exploded, making the FBI agents scream.

And as she had predicted, the blood sent the vampires off their heads, and they charged in every direction, and the fight was on.

The vampires launched at the FBI, who shot at them, slowing them down while backing towards their van. The Leviathans gave a roar and charged at Lilith, but with a simple gesture the three of them were thrown backwards. The hunters split into three, splitting to tackle the vampires, the Leviathans and Lilith, but with a gesture, the hellhounds howled and pounded at Diamond and Garth, knocking them both to the ground.

"Parting gift Sam." Gordon hissed, and before Dean or Lilith could stop him, he injected the vampire blood into Sam, who yelled out in pain.

"You stupid blood sucker!" Lilith roared, her eyes shimmering white, and an explosive blast blasted Gordon over the room, sending his smoking body into the wall, and she looked at him in surprise.

"You're stronger than I thought." She admitted, then she felt someone tap her shoulder.

She turned around, to have Dean smack her in the face, sending her tumbling down the stairs.

"That was for Henriksen you bitch." He swore, and looked at Sam desperately, as his eyes went full black, and his mouth expanded, showing his new teeth, and he looked apologetically at Dean, and Dean could tell he would be getting the mother of all puppy dog looks if Sam's eyes were normal.

"Stop Gordon!" Dean yelled as Gordon clambered to his feet, and he ran after him, jumping over Lilith as she stirred.

Gordon was making for the door, and Dean knew he had to get enough blood to make the antidote. But, he thought as panic filled him, Sam was still trapped to the wall, and was defenceless against Lilith. He turned just in time to see Bobby appear and begin casting things at her, and she hissed, backing off as he used his powers to throw things at her while she backpedalled.

"I'm sorry Dean." Sam sobbed, as his entire body felt as if it were being burned from the inside out, and he panicked as he remembered hellfire licking at him.

"Sam, stay with us! We'll fix you son, don't worry!" Bobby declared, as Lilith blew up his source of weapons, and smiled in victory.

"Balls." He cursed.

Billy had blasted a hole in Featherstone, hellhounds had tackled Villar, but Valente was approaching Tamara, and she had her hands full fighting Niall. Marion then launched himself at Valente, falling on him and began punching him in the face, the Leviathan roaring in fury and pain.

"You bastard!" Marion yelled.

Billy blasted a round at Lilith, catching her in the side, as Sam screamed at the pain he was in, his mouth fixed around his fangs as he struggled. She turned to face him and Diamon and Garth, who had shot off their hellhounds, which were mewling in pain, and the three of them fired a flurry of bullets at her, and she ran for it.

Dean finally reached Gordon, tackling him to the ground, and the vampire hissed, turning and grabbing Dean's throat.

"Bobby!" he gasped urgently as Gordon turned the tables and forced him onto the floor, the vampire on top and crushing his throat.

The ghost was on the case, and the syringe that had been in Sam's neck last rolled towards him, and Dean grabbed it, stabbing the needle into Gordon's neck viciously. Gordon hissed in pain, letting go of Dean's neck, and Dean used his thumb to extract some blood, before kicking the vampire in the gut and scrambling to his feet.

Shoving the syringe in his pocket, he rushed towards his vampiric brother, who was groaning and shaking weakly, his eyes alert and hungry as he saw so many potential meals.

"Sammy, listen to me, you have to fight it!" Dean said, rushing up to him, and trying to free his brother from the manacles.

The battle was still raging below. Valente had escaped from Marion, but his face was a bloody mess, and he and his companions were being cornered by the vampires, remaining hellhounds, Tamara and Marion. Bobby was helping distract Lilith, who was pinned down by Billy, Garth and Diamond, and the FBI, all looking worse for wear, were looking around worriedly as they were surrounded by vampires and the growling hellhounds that they couldn't see.

"I'm sorry..." Sam whispered tearfully, and Dean looked at his brother, and was shocked to see that there was no hunger in his eyes as he looked at Dean, and Dean abruptly knew Sam would never hurt him as a vampire. He clearly was the stronger of the two of them, and Dean smiled at his brother proudly, earning him a confused and hurt look in response.

Lilith swore in fury, and gestured, sending the hunters shooting at her skidding to the floor and she leapt up onto the platform, coming at Dean, her eyes shimmering in deadly anger.

"No, not now. Either way, he is mine!" she vowed, and slapped Dean hard across the face, and such was her demonic strength that he was smashed into the wall, his forehead slamming into it, and he staggered back, dazed.

"Dean!" Sam wailed trying to free himself so he could help his brother.

Dean swore as Lilith grabbed him and threw him bodily across the room, slamming into the FBI truck, and, forgetting Sam for the moment, she advanced upon him, hand raised as if to crush him. Valente roared and charged at her, and she immediately became engaged in a brawl with him, their mighty blows slamming into each other, and it was clear that Valente feared her nearly as much as they did, her eyes shimmering and his face fearful and bloody as he slammed her into the ground, and she then blasted him into the ceiling, sending a cascade of rubble topping down on the two of them. Dean gasped in pain as it happened, his back throbbing from where he had hit the van and got to his feet, rushing back towards his brother, in between the raging battle, hopeful that both Lilith and Valente would kill each other.

"DEAN!" Sam hollered in panic, his manacles cracking as he struggled to try and get to his brother.

Dean turned to see what Sam was looking at and was immediately answered as a bleeding and furious Gordon grasped a hold of Dean's throat with one hand, heaving him up into the air, his legs kicking feebly.

"No..." he said desperately, his legs kicking as he tried to pull his attacker's arms away from his neck, and he felt his eyes roll in his head as Gordon crushed his airway. He had to get free, he had to get to Sam, he had to save Sam, let him know he wasn't disappointed, that he didn't blame him, that he would be alright, that he would fix him...

"DEAN!" Sam yelled, cracks appearing in the concrete wall as he struggled against his bonds, tapping into his new vampire given strength.

"Say goodbye to your big brother Sam. You know, I wanted him to kill you but making you watch while I kill him is just as good." Gordon gloated, and Sam let out a string of incentive as he struggled against his bonds.

"No..." Dean gasped, and Gordon gave him a sadistic smile.

"NO!" Sam yelled, wrecking his vocal chords as he did so.

No one was available to help, no one could get to him, and Sam wasn't free yet. Tears were streaming down his face as he saw his brother desperately try to free himself from Gordon's grip, and he knew he had to get free, had to help his brother.

Dean gave a last look at his little brother, and smiled at him lovingly.

And there was a resounding crack that made the entire room go silent and turn to watch as Gordon viciously twisted Dean's neck, shattering it, and ending Dean's life instantly.

"NO!" Sam roared, pulling himself free from his manacles with his vampire strength, and he leapt across the room towards Gordon, as his brother's body dropped lifelessly to the floor, his head lolling aimlessly, his cold dead eyes wide open and staring into nothing as his body collapsed to the ground with a final, dull thud.

**No! Dean is dead!  
**

**Things are looking very bad for our side at the moment arent they? Outnumbered, Dean is dead, Sam has demon blood, poisonous blood and vampire blood pulsing through him, and he's been turned into a vampire to boot. And meanwhile, the others are all locked in their own separate battles, and unable to help, and Lilith and Valente are trying their hardest to kill one another.  
**

**And meanwhile, Raphael is preparing to restart the Apocalypse, and now we know just how bad things up there really are. And he's trying to get back Virgil, the guy who killed Misha in the episode when Balthazar sent Sam and Dean through to the world where they were just actors. They want to redo the Apocalypse, and this time, the other angels won't even try and stop him. Can our side stop his evil plans?  
**

**And surprise surprise, even Roman is against the angels restarting the Apocalypse. Think of how annoying it must be for him to have to indirectly help the Winchesters.  
**

**Things are really bad at the moment arent they? Dean is dead, Sam is a vampire, our side is outnumbered, Raphael wants to restart the Apocalypse and is planning on starting to break seals, Roman wants to head off their Apocalypse and unleash one of his own, the FBI are still after the boys and they still have no way to kill Lilith or Raphael. Sucks to be them.  
**

**So what will happen next chapter? All our friends are gathered for the moment I think, so the only thing we can get now is more enemies. Will Sam kill Gordon for murdering his brother? Who will triumph in the battle in the factory? And how will they fix Dean?  
**

**More answers next chapter!  
**

**Hope you're enjoying this so far, I still dont have a clue how big the story will be, as I'm making most of it up as I go along, but either way thanks for reading!  
**

**Anyway, thank you for all the followers, and please read and review this chapter too, I like reviews!  
**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural**

Bleeding Storm

Raphael was just about to open the portal in order to free Virgil when he sensed the death of one of the Winchesters, the Enochian symbols that protected them having been shattered enough to give him an indication of where he was. He groaned in irritation. While it was a good thing in some ways, after all the arrogant little fools deserved everything they got and them being dead meant that they couldn't interfere with his plans to restart the Apocalypse (and he did have to admit that they could be a potential threat to his plans), by the same token it meant that if he was to bring the Apocalypse about, he needed the Winchesters alive. Rolling his eyes in irritation, he debated what should be done. They had to act quickly if they were to restart the Apocalypse and break the final seal at the right time, and that meant the Winchesters both had to be alive and ready to allow Michael and Lucifer into their bodies as soon as they got out of the cage. As Dean was now dead, if he left him dead for too long it could possibly give Lucifer the upper hand, and that did not suit Raphael's plans at all. Michael had to win the final confrontation to bring about Paradise, and the angels would finally get what they deserved after their father had abandoned them. They deserved to live in Paradise and that spoilt brat Lucifer needed a good kicking, and he could take those insolent little Winchesters along with him. But if Dean wasn't ready, then Lucifer might win and unleash hell on earth, the angels would be hunted down for not standing with Lucifer and they would never enter Paradise.

Raphael snarled. He had but one choice. Perhaps it was time to illustrate to the Winchesters just who they were dealing with, and a reminder that he would not continue to be so benevolent, especially after all the trouble they had caused. He would resurrect them this once, and then they would be on their own.

Growling, Raphael headed to the factory in order to resurrect Dean, and began considering possible backups to become his brothers' true vessels...should his patience and tolerance of the Winchesters erode to a point where he would no longer resurrect them. And that joyous day might not be that far off, he thought, as the beginnings of a plan sprung to mind.

XX

Gordon couldn't move in time and Sam slammed his fist into him, and it occurred to him just then how bad an idea it had been to make Sam a vampire. Considering Sam was already taller and stronger than the average man, giving him super strength couldn't be considered one of the best ideas, and as Sam was now totally heartbroken and furious, looking for revenge, it seemed an even less clever idea than it had originally. Gordon felt several ribs shatter as Sam slammed his fist into his chest, and giving a deadly hiss, his eyes thirsty for blood, Sam broke Gordon's arm into three separate pieces by grabbing it and twisting it against itself. Gordon howled in pain, and Sam kicked Gordon in the throat, sending him hurtling over backwards and slamming to the ground in a pile of dust, and Sam advanced upon him, ready to kill the monster who had just murdered his brother.

"You murderer...I'm going to kill you, and it's going to be slow, painful and horrible..." Sam vowed, his voice a deadly hiss and Gordon began to crawl backwards, sliding along the floor in fear, using his good arm to direct his retreat, and had he not been a vampire his heart would be pounding in fear as the bloodied, furious hunter come vampire advanced on him, his teeth bared, ready to rip Gordon to shreds.

"Sam I can help you, we could be great allies!" Gordon pleaded, and Sam shook his head, his eyes narrowed.

"After what you just did? Never!" Sam roared and sprang at Gordon, and the vampire screamed.

The pile of rubble that had crushed Valente and Lilith then exploded, and Lilith, bloodied and broken, climbed out, her hand raised, her eyes shimmering, and Valente's screaming and smoking body left in the pile of rubble, and Sam could see trickles of black blood trickling back to join their owner. Lilith then turned to Sam furiously and hissed in fury as she saw that Gordon had indeed done what he had promised to do and she turned her eyes onto the vampire on the floor, ready to obliterate him on the spot, but Sam leapt at her, his hand slamming her in the chin and sending her flying up into the air, crashing with a scream into the metallic roof.

Lilith thudded to the floor, and then blasted Sam with her powers, sending him rolling to the floor as she pulled herself to her feet. Sam gave her a challenging hiss and sprang towards her, clawing at her face and sending her sprawling across the room. She slammed into the side wall and turned, approaching Sam in a predatory manner.

"I underestimated vampire you Sam. But it won't last long. Demon blood is toxic to vampires, and that, combined with the impact the wrong human blood had on you before, will slowly begin to kill you." She gloated, and Sam narrowed his eyes.

"Not quickly enough." He snarled, and she jumped at him, her fist slamming into his mouth, and as he staggered he turned, chopping down on her neck which sent her to the ground, grasping in pain. Sam then collided his foot with her chin, knocking her flat on her back, before she kicked him in the stomach with the heels of her boots, sending him wheezing to the ground as she got back to her feet.

Grant darted to Gordon's side, heaving him up as the vampires rushed for their van that was still parked outside. The hunters and the FBI fired at them, and the hellhounds snapped at their feet, but with their mistress otherwise occupied in a vicious brawl with Sam, which she was steadily losing, they could do nothing but snarl. The hunters had come together, looking at Sam warily, and the FBI and Charlie were climbing back into their van, which then whirled out of the building to allow them to make their escape, leaving only the demons and the Leviathans to deal with.

Sam grabbed a hold of Lilith's neck and slammed her hard into the ground, watching as Valente crawled to the other two bloodied Leviathans, and he then heaved her from the ground and hurled her at them. Lilith shrieked in fury and annoyance as she span across the room, slamming into the monsters, and was then immediately beset by a hail of bullets.

Sam was shaking as he looked at Lilith. He could smell the blood of the others, it was so enticing, he wanted nothing more than to jump at them and suck them all dry. But he didn't think he would make it. Lilith had been right about one thing, his body was burning, and his eyes were swimming in front of him, the room was spinning, which was overriding his predatory instincts, and he knew that he wouldn't last another round with Lilith. Ignoring the craving for blood, he stumbled to his brother, sinking to his knees beside his brother's unseeing body.

"Dean...I'm so sorry, this is all my fault. I'm sorry I have demon blood in me, I'm sorry you're dead, it's all because of me..." he said, tears falling down his face as he lifted his brother gently into his arms, the fever burning through him, overriding everything but his grief.

"Is he going to feed on Dean?" Diamond asked worriedly, and Tamara shook her head.

"No, he's saying goodbye I think. Besides, even if he did it wouldn't work very well, it's dead man's blood now.

"Dean..." Sam cried softly, tears falling down his face as he beheld his dead brother, whose head was flopping back lifelessly, making Sam feel slightly sick, and Sam, his hands shaking, gently closed Dean's eyes and buried his head in Dean's cooling chest.

"No...come back..." he said, not noticing as Lilith used her powers to send the hunters and the Leviathans skidding away as she approached him.

"Dean..." Sam wailed, sobs wracking his body along with the blood poisoning as Lilith advanced on him, deadly intent on her face.

"Dean!" Sam cried to his unknowing brother, desperately pleading for his brother to come back, to not be gone, tears flooding his eyes, his body shaking in remorse and in pain as Dean went cold in his arms.

"I'm so sorry...please come back, don't leave me alone...Dean...please." Sam begged, howling in loss as Lilith stood behind him, ready to obliterate him from the face of the earth.

XX

Dean looked around, saw the grey scene in front of him, vampire Sam howling and smashing Gordon with his fist, sending him spiralling away from his fallen body, and he immediately knew what had happened as he saw his limp necked body lying on the ground.

"Aww crap am I dead again?" he moaned, and a voice behind him abruptly answered, making him jump.

"Yes Dean, you are. Your neck was completely shattered. Don't worry though, it isn't permanent." Tessa assured him as she appeared from nowhere, smiling at him in greeting.

"You know, Sam was right, you really ought not to tell people how they died, it kind of freaks them out." He said irritably, looking at his body's limp head, and she smiled coolly.

"True. But I can always count on the Winchesters to find new and interesting ways to die, you most of all. I was very upset last time when your soul was trapped in that voodoo doll, I didn't even get to attempt to take you on. And thanks to Sam resurrecting himself last time, I'm now on probation. All because of the two of you. As you can imagine, I'm not particularly happy with that development." She said waspishly, and Dean shrugged.

"Not my problem love. The longer Sammy and I evade you, the happier I am." He said with grim satisfaction, and she glowered at him.

"You're running out of chances Dean. One day you will die, and it will be permanent, and that time I will reap you and there will be no going back." She said with relish, and he grinned at her.

"Nice to see a woman who enjoys her work. You said this me being dead courtesy of Gordon is only temporary?" he asked, and she nodded.

"As that arrogant bloodthirsty idiot Raphael wants to restart the Apocalypse, he kind of needs you and Sam alive. But Raphael, while a traditionalist, isn't nearly as patient as Michael was. Eventually, his patience will run out, and if you pair decide to not say yes, then his uses for you will evaporate." She warned, and he processed that bit of information worriedly.

Basically, that meant that eventually, if one of them died, Raphael would just let them stay dead. And that thought certainly did suck.

"So...he totally snapped my neck?" Dean asked, morbidly curious, and she nodded.

"Yes. Shattered it into less pieces than your brother's was, but still completely shattered. But it's a good thing he did." She said, smiling at him, and he glowered at her.

"Hey, you may enjoy people snuffing it because it gets you off probation, but to the poor sap who actually is dead, it still kind of sucks, even if as you say it is temporary." He said, watching as Sam approached his fallen body and gently scooped it up, tears running down his face.

Tessa watched Sam sadly as he cradled Dean's body against himself, blaming himself for his brother's death and apologising over and over.

"Aww Sammy, I know it wasn't your choice to take the blood, and it isn't your fault, not at all..." Dean whispered, wishing Sam could hear him.

"You don't get it Dean. This, your death, is a good thing." She assured him, and he glared at her venomously, and she took a step back in retreat as she met his glare.

"How the hell can my death be a good thing? Sam is crying his eyes out, is a vampire, thinks I died hating him for something that he had no control over, thinks it's all his fault, and to make matters worse the demon he just used as a football is going to kill him!" Dean said in panic, pointing to Lilith as she advanced on Sam.

"It is a good thing," came a soft modulated voice, "because it means that I can give you the answer to your request." Death said as he appeared behind Dean, his briefcase in hand and his stick in the other.

"Oh, uh, hi." Dean said awkwardly, panic rising as he feared Lilith was about to make Sam join him.

"If you're thinking Lilith killing Sam will allow him to go with you into the beyond, which I assume is the only way I'm ever going to reap either of you, then you'd be wrong. Remember, he's vampire Dean, even if he has shown remarkable control for a beast like that. If Lilith destroys him, he will go to Purgatory." Tessa warned, and Dean felt a sick feeling rising in his chest as he imagined his little brother trapped forever in Purgatory.

"And before you ask, I will not get him out if he winds up there." Death said, walking over to stand beside Tessa.

"Come on Sammy, I know you miss me, but she's right behind you!" Dean cried, but Sam, still weak and still crying, didn't hear him and just hugged Dean closer to him.

Dean turned to Death desperately.

"Please, there has to be something you can do!" he pleaded, and Death shook his head emotionlessly.

"No Dean. I am not allowed to interfere. Or at least, not directly. However...as an Apocalypse, whether it be caused by demons and angels, or by Leviathans will significantly increase my working hours, I am willing to give the side I favour a nudge in the right direction. Indeed, out of all my reapers, I suspect the only person who wants an Apocalypse to happen is Tessa here." Death said mildly, and Dean glared at her, making her shrug self-depreciatingly.

"Hey, a girl has to make a living, and this is my third probation!" she moaned, and Dean did wince a little guiltily, after all, she probably got into trouble every time she failed to reap the two of them.

"Wait, so does that mean we're the side you favour?" Dean asked hopefully, and Death nodded ever so slightly.

"I wouldn't go so far as to say I support you or will go out of my way for you, but I'd rather your world keeps spinning and the Leviathans go back to where they belong. So..." he said, opening his briefcase and withdrawing his scythe and passing it to Dean.

"You're letting us have it?" Dean asked in shock, and Death nodded.

"Yes Dean I am. However, there are rules to the use of my scythe. Firstly, you must not allow it to fall into enemy hands. That would be disastrous as I'm sure you remember, and I'd rather not lose any of my reapers. Secondly, I will take it back as soon as you have killed Lilith, it is not a weapon I lend out lightly or often, Lilith is the intended target, though if someone gets in your way while you use it then so be it. Thirdly, it must be polished every night, I cannot abide finger prints on it. And fourthly, you must not damage it in any way, no matter what fortune may befall you. Am I clear?" he asked, and Dean, holding the scythe tightly in his hand, nodded.

"Yeah, um, crystal." He said, and Death nodded.

"Very well. Take as long as you need. Remember the rules. And good luck." He said, and vanished, and Tessa pouted.

"Even for him, that was giving me a cold shoulder. I hope you're happy, this is all your fault." Tessa said tartly, before vanishing herself in irritation.

Dean looked at the scythe in his hand. They had a way to kill Lilith, and technically Raphael as well. But, he thought with a frown, he was currently dead, so how the hell did he take the scythe with him into the land of the living if and when Raphael resurrected him?

However, he was distracted from his musings as Lilith came to a stop behind Sam, her eyes shimmering, her hand raised, prepared to destroy his brother, and he could tell that the others wouldn't get there in time to save him.

"SAMMY!" Dean yelled, and everything went white.

XX

Lilith was about to destroy the vampire who was clutching his dead brother when Dean's eyes suddenly flew open and he glared up at Lilith.

"Dean!" Sam said in disbelief, letting his brother go, and watching in awe as Death's scythe formed in his hand as his brother stood up, seemingly ignoring his little brother.

"Lower your hand bitch, or I'll dissect you right here." He promised, and Sam turned around in surprise, his head spinning as he did so, to see Dean glowering at the demon who was taking tentative steps back, looking at the scythe fearfully.

"Clever boy Dean. Pity you couldn't stay dead, though I can see that you have friends in high places." She said in disdain, as the entire building began to shake, a piercing sound filled their ears and a bright white light began to grow in the room.

"Scurry off home Lilith, otherwise it'll be a race between who gets you first, me or Raphael." He growled, and she shot him a look of pure loathing, then turned and ran for her limo, whistling on her hellhounds as she did so.

The Leviathans looked to the ceiling, and, with Valente still injured, they decided to retreat, heading for their own car.

"Billy, call Marge, we need to get out of here!" Dean yelled, and he turned to Sam, who took a step towards him, his eyes fixed on his resurrected brother, and Dean tried not to flinch as his brother hugged him.

Sam however felt the flinch, and let go very quickly, casting his eyes down as his body temperature grew, a sickness formed in his stomach, and his skin alternated between light and dark. He was sweating, his breath was ragged, his body was shaking, the room was spinning around him, and he was finding it hard to stand up.

Dean took a step towards his brother, ignoring the concerned noises coming from the other hunters.

"Sammy, we're going to fix you ok?" he asked softly, but Sam continued to stare at his shoes, and he then looked up at Dean.

"Dean...I want to feed, I'm trying to control it but I can't, I want to attack the others..." he said meekly, and Dean had to admit, he was impressed. When he had been a vampire, it had taken all of his control not to pounce on Sam and suck him dry, but Sam didn't seem interested in him at all.

"Sammy, just fight it a little longer, we'll fix you, I've got Gordon's blood, Cox can make the antidote, you'll be as good as new soon." He assured his little brother, and Sam shook his head.

"No Dean, I can't go in the coach, I'll try and hurt the others, I don't want to hurt anyone." He said sadly, and Dean felt his heart breaking as he saw how lost, upset and confused Sam was, and how hurt by thinking his brother hated him for taking the demon blood.

The factory was shaking more than ever, the pitch of the whistle almost deafening as Marge pulled the coach up to the doorway and honked the horn.

"Go, get in the coach!" Dean yelled, and Sam looked at him desperately.

"Please Dean, I can't go in there!" he begged, and Dean shook his head, fearing what his brother was going to ask him.

"Sammy, I'm not going to decapitate you, we can fix you ok? Just try and control it." He said, dragging Sam towards the coach as dust began to fall from the ceiling and more rubble continued to pelt down.

"Hurry up!" Tamara yelled from the door of the coach.

"But in that close a room, I won't control it, I'm not strong enough Dean, please..." Sam begged, and Dean hissed in frustration.

Raphael was nearly here, and he still had to get Sam, who was looking worse by the minute, into the coach, and then fix him, and they had to get away before Raphael arrived and finished them.

"Please..." Sam whispered, begging his brother for this last thing, thinking it would be the last thing his brother would do for him, giving him a look that would have been puppy dog eyes if he'd had his normal eyes.

"Aww Sammy...turn around and kneel down." He ordered gruffly, and Sam looked at him thankfully before complying.

"Don't struggle ok? We need to get out of here." Dean whispered into his brother's ear, as the entire factory rattled and the windows burst with the pitch of the screech, and he beckoned to Garth, who was standing nervously at the door of the coach, and when he saw the other hunter running towards them, hating himself, Dean wrapped his arm around Sam's neck, catching him in a chokehold.

"I'm sorry Sammy." Dean whispered as he cut off blood and air to his brother's head, but vampire Sam was unusually docile, and only raised his hands by reflex to try and pull at the arm around his neck, and he didn't struggle, and a few seconds later, Sam's head tipped back as he passed out.

"Come on, he's coming!" Garth said, hoisting Sam up and he and Dean ran towards the coach as the rubble fell from the roof, and they jumped into the protected coach just in time, as the white flash inside the factory receded, and Marge stepped on it before Raphael noticed them.

XX

Raphael looked around at the bloodied and rubble strewn ground, and saw no sign of any of his prey. He had disturbed his ritual, only to be undone at the last minute. Howling in frustration, he dismantled the entire factory with a scream, lightning flashing around inside it as rain poured above it, and a few seconds later, the furious archangel was left standing in a mound of rubble, and with a bitter curse, he was gone.

XX

Sam was on the bed and despite being unconscious, he was thrashing around, his breath clamouring, covered in sweat, groaning weakly and weakly calling Dean's name. Dean pressed a hand to his brother's forehead, not liking how hot he was, and frowned at his brother's prone form, wishing he could do something.

"I called Cox, and Missouri and him are already preparing the antidote to the vamp blood, but that isn't going to help him much if we can't get the human and the demon blood under control." Diamond said, unabashedly staring at Sam's mostly naked body as she fetched a bottle of water, poured it onto a cloth and began dabbing at him.

"How's he doing?" Marion called back from the passenger seat as Marge hurtled them towards Missouri's house.

"Not good, he's dying, and I don't even know if giving him the vamp cure will help him." Dean said in concern, flinching as Sam cried out his name, his voice sounding upset.

"And what about you seeing as you just died again?" Bobby asked grimly, and Dean shrugged.

"I'm fine, he only broke my neck, Raphael fixed me, so here I am." He said, ignoring it, but he could tell Bobby wasn't convinced.

"We have another problem too. Joshua is going to try and kill Sam as soon as he sees that he's a vampire." Billy warned, and Dean suddenly developed a very dangerous look.

"He so much as gives Sam a paper cut I'll castrate the bastard and strangle him with his own intestines." He vowed, and the others all shuddered.

"We need to get ready to leave too. If Gordon knows where we are, we can bet that the FBI will too. We can't stay around here anymore." Garth said, looking worriedly at Sam as he jerked and shuddered on the bed, screaming out about monsters.

Dean and Bobby looked at each other significantly, and Dean took over from Diamond, mopping his brother's head with the cloth.

"Sammy, I don't know if you can hear me but you aren't a monster." He whispered fiercely and Sam gave a weak cry.

"He was amazing against Gordon and Lilith. Shame he didn't kill either of them though, but still, he was pretty damn good." Diamond said, impressed, and Sam abruptly opened his eyes and looked around with black irises, and everyone in the coach froze, fearing the hungry vampire would attack.

"Dean..." he said weakly, and when Dean put his face above Sam's, Sam shook his head miserably.

"Dean, I don't want to be a Twilight vampire." He wailed before closing his eyes and passing out again, and Dean couldn't help but laugh, he had sounded so pathetic.

Everyone relaxed as Marge trundled the coach up to outside Missouri's and as Sam lapsed back into unconsciousness, and Bobby looked at him worriedly.

"He's in deep trouble. The three bloods inside him other than his own are killing him." He said, and Dean just nodded, he already knew that and was terrified as he heaved his little brother into his arms and ran for the house.

As predicted, Joshua must have already known about Sam and had clearly tried to get to the door with a knife in order to behead Sam. However, Meg, seeing what he was doing had attacked, slamming her shoulder into him and now had him pinned against the wall as Dean entered, Sam hanging limply in his arms.

"He's a vampire, kill him now before he wakes up!" he spat, and Dean glowered at him.

"Touch him and I'll gut you." He said as the others all bundled in, Tamara receiving a surprised look from Missouri as she did so.

"Quickly, bring him in here. Your recipe was quite easy to follow, all I need is the vampire blood, thank you," Cox said as Dean laid Sam on the couch and handed it to him, and he emptied it into a bowl which he swirled around and then loaded into a syringe.

"Meg, I need your advice." Dean said reluctantly, and Billy raised his gun to cover Joshua as she entered.

"What?"

"Will giving him the antivenom kill him? He has demon blood in him too." Dean said, and Meg pondered her answer.

"It shouldn't do. The anti venom should counteract the original vampire venom. But, you need to be careful. The demon blood might kill him it's been so long since he's taken any." She said, and Joshua's eyes widened out in the hall.

"So not only is he a vampire now, he also has demon blood in him, and you still won't kill him? Can't you see how much of a threat he is?" he demanded, and Jody glowered at him.

"The only threat in here is you, Sam is dying at the moment, and provided the doc can fix the venom, he won't be a vampire anymore. Then all we need to do is clean his blood, and that should get rid of the demon blood too. So why don't you just shut your mouth?" she demanded as Cox injected the cure into Sam.

Sam groaned in pain, flailing his arm weakly, and Dean gently forced it down as his brother began to shake and shudder as the cure fought off the disease in his bloodstream.

"How long does it take to work?" Cox asked, not at all liking the state Sam was in, how blotchy his skin was, how thick his lips were, his eyes, which were already returning to their usual colour were swelling and he was gagging desperately for something, and he began to shout incoherently.

"A few hours. Can you clean his blood now?" Dean asked worriedly, and he shook his head.

"No, not without risking stopping the cure. And besides, I would feel better if we had a way to set up an IV but we don't, and I don't want to risk moving him until I'm sure he's safe." Cox said grimly as Sam screamed in pain, wrenching Dean's heart.

"How long do you need before you want to try and clean his blood up, or at least until you can move him?" Missouri asked, and Cox sucked the side of his gum as he considered his answer.

"Can you give m two hours?" he asked, and she nodded.

"Right then, two hours it is. Tamara dear, how did you get here?" she asked, and Tamara, looking at Joshua untrustingly, turned to the psychic.

"My truck and caravan. But if you want I could bring the truck here and we could attach the caravan to the coach if we need to make a run for it." She said, clearly wanting to get involved in everything was going on, and Meg nodded.

"You'll need to. Lilith will be out for blood seeing as you've gotten away from her twice now. So, why don't the noob and I go and get her caravan, the squirrely guy can come with us and start angel proofing the caravan?" she asked, getting to her feet.

"Good idea. We need to go as soon as we can, and the more room we have, the better. You're a lifesaver Tamara. Right, I'll get my stuff ready. Marion, if you and Jody start collecting supplies from the cupboards down here, Marge, you and Joshua took upstairs. Billy, see if you can zip down to the market with Diamond and get us some food and drink supplies, and some basic medicines and first aid stuff, we might need it. Let's go!" Missouri said, and the others all dashed about their business, leaving Dean and Cox beside Sam, Dean's hand wrapped around his brother's worriedly.

XX

It proved to be a blessing that Tamara had appeared when she had. The caravan could easily house six of them, not all with beds as there were only two, but her heavy duty truck made short work of carrying the large travel home to the coach, and by the time they reached Missouri's, the caravan was also angel proofed. As such, the caravan and the coach would more than suit their needs, and both were stocked up with food, clothes, first aid, blankets and other things Missouri deemed as necessary for going on the run, and Garth had been delighted when she had brought down a TV from her room to put into the coach and Tamara revealed she had one of her own, so they could see how the manhunt for them was going.

Two hours later, Sam seemed mostly human once more, and, slightly hesitantly, Cox had begun the process of purging the unwanted human blood from his system, with Sam groaning and clutching his head as he did so, and Cox hoped fervently that cleaning his blood would also eliminate the threat of the demon blood.

As the others prepared to leave, Joshua glared at the boy who was shuddering on the bed, screaming at Dean, their father, Bobby, Castiel, Ruby and who knew who else. The boy was a threat, a demon in their midst. He had demon blood inside him and had recently been a vampire, and his brother still refused to put him down like the monster that he was. Joshua knew their father wouldn't have hesitated, he'd have killed Sam long ago, and he could only imagine how John would be turning in his grave at the thought of Dean not doing what he was always trained to do: kill the monster.

Well, Joshua for one wasn't prepared to wait around for Sam to endanger them all again, but it was clear that with Dean on high alert, he wouldn't get within ten yards of his brother. But, if he had some help, then he could put Sam down like the monster that he was. He had heard Billy and Bobby talking earlier, about how Gordon had told Sam that he had killed Steve Wandell because he was possessed. Joshua didn't believe a word of it. Sam was evil through and through, and he knew it was only a matter of time before he started using his freaky powers again, and he had to stop the boy before he unleashed another Apocalypse.

Fortunately, he had friends.

Emily Wandell had been Steve's daughter, and Joshua had kept in touch with her over the years. And a few friends of his had always wondered just who had killed Steve, and considering the brutal manner of his death, had always wanted to get even. And now, he knew.

Smiling to himself, he called Emily. They had a hunt to prepare.

XX

Billy was steadily driving down the motorway, with Garth twittering endlessly beside him. Joshua, Marge, Diamond, Jody and Marion were all in the coach with them, while Tamara, Missouri, Cox, Sam, Dean (and by extension Bobby) and Meg were all in the caravan, which was actually quite a smooth ride. Sam seemed to have calmed down, and Cox seemed confident that his treatment was working and that the dirty blood would soon be out of Sam.

"You sure he's going to be fine?" Dean asked worriedly, looking down at his still pale and sweaty little brother as he lay on the bed next door to Tamara's.

Cox shrugged.

"I'm sorry Dean but I can't really tell you. Supernatural medicine isn't my speciality. But I can tell you that if it were just a normal bad transfusion he'd had, he would be recovering. Now come on, you can't do much good sitting here and staring at him, you need some food in you. And I want to talk to you about your resurrection, is that a common occurrence for you?" Cox asked in interest, putting his arm on Dean's shoulder and guiding him from the room.

The caravan was dark after Diamond took the wheel of the coach and did a shift with Missouri, the two of them chatting away about some soap opera they both watched. Dean had fallen asleep on the couch of the caravan, Tamara was writing in her journal, Billy and Cox were playing chess, and Meg was curious.

Checking Dean was sound asleep, she got up, and as if heading towards the bathroom, she headed towards the back of the caravan, and then opened the door to Sam's room, and was strangely satisfied to see that he was going back to a virtually normal colour. But, there was still the fact that he had had demon blood in him recently. She frowned thoughtfully as she stood over the sleeping Winchester.

She had heard tales of how powerful Sam had been with his powers, powerful enough to destroy Lilith and Alastair, two of the most powerful demons in hell, strong enough to banish Samhain, enough to thwart a Horseman. And now, they had every bad ass in creation after them, but because he was so totally dependent on what his belligerent brother thought of him, he wasn't even going to consider going back down that road. Which to her, sounded a little too like a death sentence, and she didn't intend to die with the Winchesters, far from it.

She looked at Sam's sleeping form, pondering whether she should do it. She knew full well that the little boost his long dormant powers would have gotten from the blood Gordon gave him was long gone and that it wasn't nearly enough to rekindle them or his addiction. But, bottled demon blood lost potency anyway, and Sam had shown himself once before willing to suck blood straight from an open wrist. So, if she just happened to cut herself and spill it into his mouth...well there wouldn't be anything Dean could do about it.

She raised her wrist above Sam's slightly open mouth and was about to slice her wrist with a knife when a curved blade suddenly appeared around her neck.

"What the hell are you doing?" Dean bit out, the scythe ready to lop her head off.

"Think about it logically Dean. We need some power on our side. Sam can provide that." She said, and he roughly grabbed her and turned her to face him, and she flinched as she saw his furious expression on his face.

"Listen to me Meg. And answer me honestly. Has that blood affected Sam in any way?" he demanded, and she reluctantly shook his head.

"No. There wasn't enough to reawaken his powers, just sort of tug at them, and the vampire blood would have counteracted it anyway." She said bitterly.

"So he won't be able to use his powers or be addicted again?" Dean asked, dearly wishing he could just twitch the scythe and lop her head off.

"No. Like I said, the vampire blood would cancel out his powers, and there wasn't enough to get him addicted, and I doubt he'd have noticed anyway, he was suffering too much from his allergic reaction to the other blood Gordon fed him." She said resentfully.

"So, no problems in the demon blood department, we aren't going to go down that road again?" he growled, and she truthfully shook her head.

"Not unless he drinks another demon's blood." She said, and Dean smiled.

"And he won't, we've dealt with all that and he won't do it again. And you Meg, are going to keep your blood to yourself, because if you give him so much as a drop, I'm turning you over to Crowley. Clear?" he snarled, and glaring at him, she nodded.

"Fine. But, he might want to take the blood again, and if he does, tell him to give me a call." She said smugly, and Dean advanced on her, and she could feel the scythe pressing against the back of her neck.

"No. He won't take the blood again, and if he goes crazy and asks for it, you say no, got it? No more blood. Ever. And I'm going to slaughter Gordon for what he did to Sam, and if you tempt him with blood in any way, I'll end you too." He swore, then moved aside to let her past, and she glowered at him on the way out.

"Fine. But if you get us all killed, it will be on your head." She said before leaving the room, and Dean sank to his protective position beside his brother, stroking Sam's slightly damp hair.

"Don't worry Sammy, I won't let her poison you. We don't need to go back down that road again, we've both learned our lessons. But Sammy...it would be really nice if you woke up." He said softly, but aside from giving a soft moan and turning over, Sam made no response, and Dean still felt alone.

XX

Sam woke up slowly, sunlight shining into his face, and as he looked around, he realised that they weren't in the attic room anymore. Confused, he rubbed his eyes and turned to his left, and saw Diamond sitting on the seat, smiling at him.

"Hey Sam, welcome back to the land of the living." She said happily as he hid a yawn and pulled his blanket up to cover his bare chest slightly.

"Hi Diamond, what are you doing here? Where's Dean?" he asked softly.

His brother wasn't beside him like he usually was when he woke up after being ill. He knew it was childish, but he had come to expect Dean to always be right by his side whenever he woke up after something bad had happened. Dean was always there, right beside him. And now, he wasn't. He hadn't woken up to find his brother there, and stupid though it was, it hurt.

"Don't worry about him, we're stopped outside a motel and Billy bribed the owner to let us use the showers, we were getting a bit smelly, he's in there now. And I'm here babysitting, make sure you didn't wake up and freak out. How much do you remember?" she asked, cocking her head, and Sam found himself liking the way the light bounced off her blond hair.

Sam shook his head, trying to clear it, and then it all came back in a rush, though all disjointed and muddled. Being kidnapped by Gordon, taking an allergic reaction to the first injection of blood, being injected with demon blood, Dean's disappointed shake of his head that had broken Sam's heart, the vampire blood, Gordon murdering his brother, his battle with him and Lilith, Dean's resurrection and then his flinch as his brother had tried to hug him, and Sam fought down tears.

"All of it." He whispered quietly, and Diamond looked at him sadly.

"I don't blame you for looking miserable, you had a crappy time of it. Everyone got out ok, well Dean didn't he died but he came back so it doesn't really count, but you weren't doing well, what with the injections, Cox reckons you're lucky to be alive." She said, her eyes taking in his complexion.

Sam couldn't help but remember as Dean, is big brother who he'd been crying his eyes out over a second before, had come back and as soon as Sam tried to touch him, he had flinched away. He thought Sam was a monster again, he hadn't wanted to touch him, he thought he was that hateful, disgusting monster that craved blood all over again. And with either injection, demon or vampire, he had still craved blood. Dean hated him again, and that thought brought a sick feeling to the back of his throat. He hadn't wanted to be turned into a monster again, but he had, and now, he was losing Dean.

"Hey, earth to Sam! You ok? Or do I need Missouri's help to contact you?" she said, and he shook his head, trying to dispel the feeling of abject misery that was growing in him.

"Sorry Diamond." He said, looking at her, and she looked at him sympathetically, seeing the tears that were starting to develop in his eyes.

"Hey, none of it was your fault. You couldn't help it." She said, and he wished he could believe that, but how much of a monster had he become while under the influence of the blood?

"Did I hurt anyone?" he asked nervously, and she nodded.

"Yeah you did. You kicked Gordon and Lilith's ass." She said cheerfully, and he felt slightly heartened by that. At least he had done some good.

"I did?" he asked, and she smiled at him, and he had to admit, she had a beautiful smile.

"Yeah. I wasn't complaining, we had our hands full with those FBI idiots and Lilith's pets and keeping the Leviathans at bay. There's something very attractive about a boxer clad man kicking ass." She said, and he blushed.

"Um...thanks. Did I kill them?" he asked, and she shook her head.

"No. You were about to kill Gordon I think, but Lilith bust into your brawl before you could, and you focused on her, I suppose you were so pissed with what he did to Dean that you wanted to kill him yourself. You had a good go at Lilith too, but by then you were getting worse, getting sicker, and you just tossed her away and went to Dean." She explained.

"Oh." He said softly, and she touched his cheek gently.

"Hey, cheer up. Thanks to you we got out of there, you kept the big bad busy and because you kicked his ass, the vampires ran off too. You saved us kinda." She said, smiling at him, and was proud of herself when he smiled a little in response.

"Thanks. Where are we?" he asked, looking around at the small room.

"Tamara's caravan, she's joined our merry band of renegades. As to where we're parked, I haven't a clue, we're not privy to where we're going, we're in the caravan. I took us towards New Mexico, but they might have changed direction when I went to sleep." She said.

"I miss anything interesting?" he asked, suppressing the thoughts of Dean, he was who he really missed, but well, Dean probably didn't miss him, probably didn't want to be anywhere near him.

"Not much, you did say something interesting though." She said in a teasing voice, and he looked at her in confusion.

"What, what did I say?" he asked nervously, wondering what sort of embarrassing childish thing he had said when he was delirious.

"You said you didn't want to be a Twilight vampire." She said, thoroughly enjoying the rd flush of embarrassment that appeared on his face.

"I did?" he asked weakly, and she nodded, smiling.

"Yep. Somehow though, I reckon you were more of an Angel than an Edward." She said kindly, and then blushed as she realised what she had just said, and Sam grinned at her shyly.

"Good. Mind you, I wouldn't have minded being the cool one with all the scars." Sam said, teasing her, knowing full well she must have read the books.

"Who, Jasper? Yeah, he is pretty cool. Not as cool as you though. Wait, hey, you're making fun of me!" she said, slapping his bare arm lightly and he laughed.

"Sorry, couldn't resist." He said, then his eyes widened in embarrassment as he yawned widely.

"Sorry." He said sheepishly, and she shook her head.

"Don't worry about it, Cox said you might not be a hundred percent yet. You want anything?" she asked, her expression kind, and he smacked his lips a little.

"A glass of water?" he asked hopefully, and she nodded and headed through to get it.

Diamond smiled as she entered the room with the water in hand a minute later. Sam was already asleep once more, curled up in the covers.

"Poor guy." She said, setting the water on the table and leaving the room.

XX

Sam woke up again a few hours later, and they were once more on the move when he awoke, but the sun was still in the sky. He rubbed his eyes and flinched as he saw his brother, and immediately turned away from him before his dozing brother awoke.

Unfortunately for him, Dean had been disturbed by the slight sign of movement and smiled as he saw that Sam was awake.

"Hey." He said in relief, frowning slightly as he wondered why Sam wasn't looking at him.

"Hi." Sam said softly, not looking at him, he didn't want to see the disappointment in his eyes.

"Sam, what's wrong?" Dean asked, wanting his brother to at least look at him, slightly worried that he wasn't.

"Nothing." Sam said stubbornly, refusing to look.

And then it clicked, and Dean could have kicked himself. Sam thought he was disappointed in him, that he was ashamed of him because of everything that had happened.

"Sammy..." Dean said in a wheedling voice, but Sam got there first.

"You hate me don't you?" he asked, and Dean laughed a little.

"Sammy, of course I don't hate you." He said softly, and Sam turned to look at him with a flicker of hope in his eyes.

"Really?" he asked, and Dean smiled and nodded.

"Really. Sam, back in the factory...I was trying to tell you I knew it wasn't your fault. I know you would never willingly take demon blood. It just got a little lost in translation." Dean said kindly, and Sam stared at him.

"You aren't ashamed of me, disappointed with me, you don't hate me?" he asked in a rush, and Dean snorted a little in amusement.

"No dummy, I don't hate you and I'm not ashamed of you. If anything, I'm proud of you. You were in control all the way, and you knew exactly where you limits ended. You didn't hurt anyone, well other than Lilith and Gordon, and you fought it all the way. Sammy, there was nothing you could have done about the demon blood or the vampire blood. You didn't have any control over that. But you took control of the thing you did have control over, yourself. When I was a vampire, it was so hard, I wanted to eat everyone, including you. But you, well, did you want to eat me?" he asked, and Sam shook his head.

"No. I knew who you were and I just didn't want to bite you, even though you smelled pretty good." He said musingly, and Dean grinned.

"Bet I did." He said arrogantly, and Sam rolled his eyes.

"I just knew that if there was anyone I didn't want to bite, it was you. So I didn't. But I knew I wouldn't have the same control with the others." He said, and Dean nodded.

"Exactly. You knew what you were capable of, and acted to stop hurting anyone. I'm proud of you Sammy." He said, and Sam smiled.

"I thought you would hate me, stop trusting me again because I had demon blood in me." He said miserably, and Dean shook his head.

"No Sammy, it wasn't your fault. Besides, both Meg and Lilith say it wasn't enough to even remotely tempt you again, and you don't want any do you?" he asked brightly, and sensing no suspicion in his brother's voice, Sam shook his head.

"No, I don't want to ever go back to that again. But I would kill for a glass of water." He said, and Dean passed him the glass Diamond had gotten him, and Sam drank eagerly.

"Good. I knew you wouldn't go back to that Sammy. You resisted the demon blood, you even resisted most of being a vampire, and I'm proud of you. Not to mention you kicked Lilith's ass." He said fondly, ruffling Sam's hair, to his brother's cries of protest.

"What happened to you?" he asked in interest, and Dean shrugged.

"Well, as you saw, Gordon broke my neck. It was weird, I sort of felt my neck twist, the beginnings of pain, and then everything went black, very creepy, and next thing I knew I had Tessa moaning about being on probation. Death showed up, gave me his scythe, Raphael then resurrected me because of our roles in the Apocalypse," he said, shaking his fist in a false cheer, "and then I was back and saving your sorry ass from a very pissed off demon." He said, narrowing his eyes in irritation and poking his brother.

"Hey, I was distraught, you had just been murdered right in front of me, because of me." Sam said softly, and Dean shook his head.

"I heard what you were saying. It wasn't your fault Sammy. Gordon's a maniac, and when we catch up to him again, we will kill him. And normal you and normal me, not sparkly vampirey you, will take him down." Dean said with a grin and Sam glared at him, face flushing.

"I can't believe I said that." He moaned, and Dean shrugged.

"Well for what it's worth, I don't think you were wussy enough to be a Twilight vampire, you were definitely a Blade dude." He said proudly, and Sam grinned.

"Thanks. Dean?" he asked, and the hesitant tone of his voice told his brother they weren't yet done with soul searching.

"Yeah?"

"Why didn't you want to hug me?" he asked softly, but feeling a lot better about the answer.

"Yeah, sorry. In my defence though, you were a vampire. It wasn't because I was ashamed or didn't want to see you Sam, it was because you were a vampire, it sort of makes you a little nervous. After all, we've got a coach full of people who think I'm the best hunter in the world, can hardly keep up that rep if I go around hugging vampires." He said with a grin, and Sam laughed.

"So you can't hug your vampire brother but you can impregnate an Amazon, fall for a siren and get turned to stone by a gorgon?" he asked and Dean whacked him.

"Smart ass." He said, then pulled his brother into a hug, relishing the feeling of his brother's warm body. Sam was alive, he was normal, he wasn't tempted, and he was back. Sam smiled as his brother held him, Dean was alive, he had come back to him again.

"How sentimental." A voice said and both boys jumped, banging their heads together as Crowley appeared right beside Dean, looking around the small room.

"Hmm. Quaint. Your taste in lodgings gets worse every time I see you, I've seen dung beetles with better taste than you two. And, you know Moose, I'm trying to remember the last time I came to you boys and you weren't recovering from something." He said, and Sam glowered at the king of hell.

"Bite me." He snapped, and Dean grinned. His brother was back at least.

"What do you want Crowley?" Dean asked in a bored voice, and Crowley glared at him.

"I went through a lot of trouble to get this for you." He said irritably, and produced an angel sword, slightly longer than usual, and marked with gold markings, a departure from usual.

"The archangel sword." Sam said in wonder, and Crowley nodded as he gave it to Dean.

"Exactly. So, I better have a dead archangel in a few days, or I will become very...unpleasant." He said warningly, looking at the small room in distaste.

"Don't worry, you will. And a dead demon too if you play your cards right." Dean assured him, and Crowley nodded.

"Good. Oh, and if you could be a little quieter when you fight her though, that would be very good. Rumours are circulating that a recently vampiric Sam kicked a powerful demon to the curb, and while such rumours are good to scare the mindless masses, the minded masses may begin to wonder who this demon is, and it could cause me trouble, and the last thing I want is trouble. I don't want an encounter with Lilith and I'm entrusting you boys to make sure that is what happens." He commented, and Dean nodded.

"Don't worry we will. And the demon blood he injected Sam with, it won't affect him in any way?" Dean asked, and Sam gave him a hurt, betrayed look, and he hated being the reason that that look was on his face.

"No damage aside from his dignity I expect, nothing for you to worry your pretty little head about. Your angel friend is getting restless, he's trying to break seals by the way, just thought you ought to know. I've got demons working to stop him, though some are wondering just what it is I'm up to, I've told them I want to be the ones to break seals, so if you could hurry that would help. Oh, and if you plan on dying again any time soon, I would get in on it now, because rumour has it he's getting rather fed up of the two of you not playing the game by his rules. So, ciao!" he said, and vanished.

"Didn't you trust me?" Sam asked miserably, not that he blamed his brother, but Dean shook his head.

"It wasn't that I didn't trust you Sammy, I didn't trust Meg. And now, Raphael is finally getting the hint. Great. Why couldn't they have done that years ago?" he asked irritably, and Sam smiled.

"Because they're angels and they're wankers. Where are we going anyway?" he asked curiously, and Dean smiled.

"Weapon shopping." He said mysteriously, and Sam looked at him in confusion.

XX

They entered New York later that day, and after finding a rest stop where Sam thankfully showered, the group were sent out after various things, Dean and Joshua, where he could keep an eye on the hunter, were going for some portable fuel, Jody was being taken to the hospital by Cox to get her bandages taken off, Missouri and Marge were staying with the coach and caravan and with Meg, Tamara was heading off with Billy to buy some other essentials, Diamond and Garth were heading for some takeaway for them all, and Sam and Marion were headed to their dad's lock up to get some things so they could fight better. Dean also didn't fail to notice the lingering looks Sam and Diamond were giving each other, and smiled. Maybe if his brother hooked up, maybe his own sex ban would be repealed. He turned, still smiling, and met Tamara's eyes, and she gave him a smile in return before heading off with Billy, and he headed off with Joshua, keeping his gun fixed on Joshua, not that the other hunter knew it.

Sam and Marion entered the lockup, and Marion was impressed, despite himself.

"Wow, nice." He said, examining a crossbow.

"Thanks. Oh, don't touch any of the boxes with drawings on them, we don't know what's in them, and we don't want to, all we know is they're in curse boxes and if they're opened they'll come back and bite us in the ass." Sam advised, and Marion nodded as he browsed through the lockup, while Sam collected the weapons Dean had sent them for.

"Am I being optimistic to the point of stupidity, or do you have a permit for any of these weapons?" Marion asked as he passed Sam a nice looking rifle, and Sam grinned.

"Do you really need to ask that?" he asked, and Marion shrugged.

"I'm a cop, old habits die hard. What happened to this?" Marion asked, picking up the jagged hilt of a sword, and Sam grinned.

"We need that, it's the Sword of Bruncvik. It will kill the dragon chasing us." He said, and Marion passed it to him.

"What happened to it?" he asked, wondering how they could use a vastly depleted sword.

"Dean did. He couldn't get it out of the rock and blew it up." He lamented, shaking his head, and Marion's eyes bulged.

"He blew up a priceless artefact?" he demanded, and Sam shrugged.

"It's Dean, I'm the brains of the outfit." He said, and Marion chuckled.

"You've got everything in here, curse boxes, mementos, weapons, hang on, landmines?" he demanded in a high pitched voice, and Sam waved him away from them.

"Yeah, dad liked to raid military surplus. There's a load of old clothes horses around here somewhere too, he said they were a good bargain, never figured what he wanted them for. Right, let's see. Hand guns, sawn offs, rifles, machine guns times two," he said, and Marion looked at him, half fear, half excitement on his face.

"You have machine guns?" he asked, and Sam smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, but if you want to play with one, you'll need to arm wrestle Dean for it, he's very fond of them, I was twenty four by the time he let me use one for the first time." He lamented, and Marion grinned.

"Machetes, smoke grenades, throwing stars, Bobby brought them back for Dean and I when he went to Japan, I got into so much trouble, I threw both of mine at Dean when he wasn't looking, got him right in the ass. He didn't talk to me for days." He reminisced with a fond smile while Marion laughed.

"What's this?" Marion asked picking up a small box that had several loose items rattling inside it.

"Oh, curse stuff, summoning stuff, that sort, but we shouldn't need to summon anyone else, and besides no one would answer us anymore." He said, and Marion put it back.

"Is this blood?" Marion asked, sounding slightly sick as he pointed to a few bottles, and Sam nodded.

"Yeah, dead man's blood, pick up a few bottles, we could use it for that bastard Gordon." Sam spat, and Marion put them into the box, looking at everything they had assembled so far.

"Latin books?" he asked for approval, showing a few to Sam, and he shook his head.

"Only for exorcisms, and we're killing Lilith, not sticking her back to hell." He said, and Marion nodded and looked at the list.

"Wow, guess you never know what sort of things people keep do you?" he asked musingly, ticking the last thing off the list, and Sam shook his head.

"No. It's a pity all the stuff we need is at this one, otherwise Dean would be here too, if we were at Bobby's store. That's where his baby is." He said fondly, and Marion looked at him in confusion.

"I thought you said you killed his child?" he asked, and Sam shook his head.

"Not that baby. I meant the car, we had to stop using it because of the Leviathans being after us. Home." He said softly, wishing they still had her. He knew he didn't miss her as much as Dean did, but he did still miss the Impala. After all, that car had let him beat Lucifer. And it was their home, the place where he and Dean were always at their happiest, when they were on the road together, safely in the Impala, cruising down the back roads together.

"Your car? What is it?" Marion asked in interest, as cars were a mild hobby of his.

"A 1967 Chevrolet Impala." Sam said fondly, and Marion whistled.

"Whoo, I'd like to see that, they were lovely cars. Pity. No wonder Dean always seems so down, he must miss it if you both consider it home." He said, and Sam nodded, and Marion clapped him on the shoulder.

"Yeah. But after we get rid of Roman, first thing we're going to do is take her out and drive all the way across the country." Sam said, remembering the vow Dean had promised to both him and the car when Sam had been trying to pry him away from the car, which had been difficult as Dean had been kissing her bonnet and saying it wasn't because he didn't love her, that they were in trouble and he would be reunited with her when he could, and telling her not to get jealous of any other car he used because none could ever replace her.

Sam had eventually had to half carry his grief stricken brother away from the car, him yelling to the car that their first stop would be Grand Canyon, which they still hadn't visited.

"Quite right. We got everything then?" he asked, loading up the trolley they had brought, and Sam shook his head, grinning slightly.

"Not yet, I've got one more thing to get." He said, a pulled a bulky, long thing box out from under a shelf, blowing the dust off.

"I got this for Dean's Christmas the year before he went to hell, but we got tortured by pagan gods and I never got round to giving it to him after that." He said sadly, loading the box onto the trolley gently.

"What is it?" Marion asked, and Sam smiled.

"A present I know he's going to love, he's been begging me for one for years, begged dad and Bobby too, and we wouldn't let him get one, we didn't think it was a good idea for anyone concerned." He said, and Marion looked at him curiously, but Sam was wistfully looking at his past as he locked the door, and they headed up to street level, timing it just right to be picked up by the coach.

They left the lockup building, only for a fireball to shoot down into the street and exploded, knocking them both off their feet and trundling the trolley back inside.

"What the hell?" Marion demanded, taking out his gun, and Sam went pale as something large and scaly crashed to the ground and transformed into a human like figure in front of them.

"Winchester..." it said in delight.

The dragon had found them.

**Now what? They have the weapon, but they're right in the dragon's sights, so what will happen next?**

**Either way, we now have the weapons we need to kill the big bads, which will make things a lot easier I suppose. But will we even get a chance to use them as Sam and Marion are cornered by the dragon?  
**

**And Raphael is getting exasperated with the Winchesters, and that doesnt really bode well for what is to come as he is now looking at alternatives to the boys. That means their get out of death free cards may be about to expire.  
**

**But at least Sam is back to normal, and isnt teetering on demon blood again, but that bitch Meg wanted him too though. Figures. And Joshua is up to something too, plotting against Sam, Dean isnt going to be happy when he finds that out.  
**

**And is there perhaps romance on the cards for the boys? If so, they better hurry because there's a pissed off vampire and demon after them, combined with everyone else on top of that.  
**

**So what will happen next? Will Sam and Marion escape? And what present has Sam got for Dean, if he lives long enough to give it to him? A confrontation is coming next chapter!  
**

**Anyway, hope you're still enjoying this, despite there not being all that much happening this chapter, and please read and review as always!  
**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural**

Bleeding Storm

"Down!" Sam yelled, tackling Marion to the ground as a plume of fire blazed over their heads, and the two of them scarpered into the doorway, out of the firing range of the dragon.

"How the hell did he find us?" Marion demanded as they sheltered in the doorway, eyes travelling to the trolley of weapons they had collected, which they needed to get to if they were to kill the dragon.

"I don't know, I need to call Dean, otherwise we're screwed." Sam said, wincing as another jet of fire entered the vestibule, getting ever closer to the pile of weapons they had scavenged.

"You and your brother murdered Mother. And now, her children are free. All of your struggles mean nothing Winchester. Now that the Old Ones are free, your world is doomed. You may as well accept the inevitable and come out and face me like a man. I heard your mother was incinerated in fire. Perhaps I'll send you the same way as dear old mommy..." the dragon hissed, and Sam clenched his fist angrily.

The dragon then sent three fireballs into the vestibule, making Sam and Marion duck as hot rubble peppered them. The dragon then entered, heaved Marion up and sent him hurtling across the room, slamming him into the wall, where he lay unmoving. The dragon then breathed a jet of fire at Sam, which he barely jumped out of the way of, and the dragon advanced towards him, forcing Sam towards the lift door, and Sam realised just how much danger he was in. The dragon was pissed off that Dean had killed his 'mother'. And he could relate to that, after all John had spent his entire life and had all but ordered Sam and Dean to dedicate their lives to hunting down their own mother's killer.

"Look, the Leviathans being out aren't a good thing. They want to be the only predator. Everything else, vampires, werewolves, wendigos, the Leviathans are going to wipe them out." Sam said, partly making it up as he went along and he felt the slightly hot metal door press against his back, and he knew he was trapped.

The dragon growled in the back of his throat, smiling in a deadly manner at Sam.

"Your lives are wasted Winchester. I know what you are trying to do, what you are trying to prevent, and it isn't going to work. The Old Ones will destroy your world, and all of you will bow down before things like me, and once they have established themselves, Mother will return, and this time, you will be the hunted, we the hunters." The dragon said in cold malice, and Sam was liking the idea of a world run by the Leviathans less and less.

"The Leviathans will turn on you too." He warned, and the dragon extended its long talon towards Sam's neck, and Sam acted, ducking and shouldering the dragon in the gut, his hand reaching for the sword on the trolley.

The dragon hissed in annoyance and slammed his fist into Sam's gut, knocking Sam onto his back, and the dragon ripped down with his claws, lacerating Sam's arm as the hunter tried to roll away from him and he reached up, trying to get a hold of the sword hilt so he could at last remove on threat from their growing list of enemies. The dragon gave a dark chuckle and stomped on Sam's wrist, making Sam gasp in pain as he was pinned.

"Foolish human. We have been on the bottom for too long, now we will be on the top." He vowed, and opened his mouth to incinerate Sam.

Sam grunted and slammed his foot into the area between the dragon's legs, and the dragon howled in furious pain, staggering backwards and allowing Sam to jump to his feet, grabbing the sword from the trolley. The dragon roared in frustration and backed away, his wings already unfurling as he retreated from the vestibule. Sam lunged at the dragon, the sword swinging, nicking the dragons wing as it span away from him.

"You arrogant little human!" the dragon spat, sending a wreath of fire at Sam, and Sam had to duck to avoid the stream. The dragon backed into the alleyway, and was just about to flap up into the air when Sam tackled him from below, catching the dragon in the stomach and slamming him into the wall. Sam brought the sword back to plunge it into the dragon when the dragon grabbed his shoulder and flew Sam up into the air, grinning as he did so, especially when the sword toppled from his grip.

"Goodbye Sam Winchester!" the dragon spat and let go of Sam.

Sam screamed as he plunged to the hard concrete earth, and the dragon dove after him, his mouth opening to incinerate his body. Sam closed his eyes, preparing for the end, wishing Dean was there. A honk, a bang and a screech then went off in quick succession, and Sam opened his eyes in time to see the dragon get blown into a wall by a well placed shotgun round and Sam fell through the sunlight of the coach, bouncing down on top of several fluffy towels which absorbed the impact.

"Good thing for you that I'm a psychic, or you'd have been a splat on the ground." Missouri said fondly, helping him to his feet.

Garth was outside, with Billy reloading his shotgun, while Diamond picked up the sword and Meg rolled the trolley to the coach, leaving Cox to help a dazed Marion inside.

"Diamond!" Sam yelled as he ran outside, and she threw him the sword, as the dragon gave an enraged roar and shot down at them, despite Garth and Billy showering it with bullets.

"Hurry up!" Missouri called from inside the coach as they loaded the boxes in.

The dragon swooped over them, backing away when he realised Sam had the sword back, then swooped down again, spiralling towards Diamond. Sam grunted and lunged forward, slashing the broken sword upwards, and the dragon gave a roar as green blood flew from the wound he had inflicted on his side, and the dragon span through the air, smashing through a window where it remained unmoving.

"Is it dead?" Garth asked, and Sam shook his head.

"Somehow I doubt it. Let's get out of here before it comes back for round three." He said, and they piled in to the coach and the caravan, accelerating away from the attack scene.

"You ok?" Missouri asked him, and he nodded.

"Yeah. I don't much fancy freefalling though, maybe Dean's right to be afraid of flying. Where is he, is he in the caravan?" Sam asked, and she shook her head.

"No, I figured we ought to come and save you before we picked him up. We'll pick him up on the way past, then we need to get out of here. Because I don't know about you, but I don't fancy that dragon breathing down my neck." She said worriedly, going forward to help Garth drive around the city, and Diamond smiled at Sam.

"Thanks for the save." She said, and he grinned.

"No worries. Now we have a way to kill them all, we just need to get them to hold still long enough to kill them." He said, and she nodded in determination.

"Easy." She said confidently as they headed down the streets, to meet Dean and get out of there before it was too late.

XX

The dragon stirred, roaring in frustration. The Winchesters had eluded him again, but now, he had their scent. Come what may, he was going to kill the Winchesters. Pulling himself from the shattered window, he gave a roar and set off in pursuit.

XX

The two of them had purchased the fuel they needed, and were waiting in a cafe for the coach to pick them up, Dean's eyes never leaving Joshua as he texted away on his phone. Struck by how many people someone as unpleasant as the old hunter could know and hence text, Dean sipped his beer, his eyes fixed on the man.

"You know, your brother is on the brink." Joshua commented as he fired off another text.

"Sam is fine, he won't take the demon blood again, he won't do it to himself. And I'll give you the same warning I gave Meg. Try and sabotage him in any way and it'll be the last thing you ever do." Dean warned darkly, and Joshua shrugged.

"I don't want his demonic nature coming out, after all...I heard what happened to Steve Wandell." He said darkly, and Dean almost choked on his beer as he looked at him in surprise.

"How did you find out about that?" Dean demanded, and Joshua gave him a grim smile.

"I have ways of finding things out boy. You know the policy when a hunter kills another hunter, possessed or not. If they weren't possessed, they've turned and need to be put down. If they were possessed, they were too weak to resist and also need to be put down." Joshua growled, and Dean shook his head.

"No way. Sam had no way of stopping Meg when she possessed him, she got him in the middle of the night so I couldn't even stop him." He said, and then realised what he had done, and Joshua smiled in interest at this new piece of information.

"So, it was Meg was it? Well isn't that interesting? The demon who possessed your brother and turned him on fellow hunters is the exact same demon you now have watching over your catatonic angel friend, is the same demon travelling with us now, and is also the same demon who is advocating your brother going back onto the blood. I find it curious that these things keep happening around you two." Joshua stated, and Dean glowered at him.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" he asked in a dangerous voice, and Joshua shrugged.

"Just curious. I mean you boys are meant to be the best in the world. Your daddy trained you since you were knee high to a daisy to kill monsters. And yet...your brother starts showing all these wacko powers. Rumour has it he was immune to Croatoan. Old yellow eyes himself was after Sam, and then of course came the blood addiction and siding with the demon, and hence he started the Apocalypse. All through it...you saw the monster he was becoming, the trouble he was causing, the lives he was losing. And you didn't have the guts to stop him." Joshua said contemptuously, glaring at Dean.

Dean stood, looming over the other hunter.

"He's my brother. And yeah, he screwed up. More than he should have. But I'm his big brother, and I screwed up just as badly. But nothing could ever make me kill him. You lot never got it. We were played by the demons and the angels since day one, and all of our bad choices helped tie into their grand plan to put the world to torch. And Sam, Sam was the one who was meant to inhabit Lucifer. But Sam beat the devil. He put the devil and the ruling archangel back in hell where they both belonged, and he lost his damn life doing it. People like you don't deserve what he did for you. He sacrificed himself so the ungrateful bastards in this world could go on sucking their bitter lemons, griping about how dangerous he was. But he was the one who stopped Lucifer and saved the world virtually single handed. We virtually forced that decision on him, hell I even forced it on him, I never let him forget how badly he screwed up, and to make it up to me, to everyone, the silly little bugger took the devil in and tackled himself, the devil, the archangel and our kid brother into hell and saved the world in one easy lesson. I even fought against him, I finally got my head on straight and realised this was my little brother, who had screwed up epically, and here he was, going to take the devil in and stop him by killing himself. Sam wanted to die, wanted to fix it all. And because he did, wankers like you got to keep breathing. So don't you dare sit there and pass judgement on Sam. Sam has done more good in this world than you could ever manage in your lifetime. And if you try and hurt him, I will kill you in the most painful, grotesque way possible. Got it?" he snarled, and Dean suddenly went still as he felt a gun at the back of his head.

"Is that what you did to my brother?" Charlie's voice came from behind him, and Joshua went for his gun, but relented and put his hands up as Reynolds and the remnants of his FBI team advanced upon them, their weapons drawn.

"No. I shot your brother in the heart because he was a werewolf." Dean said, and Reynolds motioned to one of the two remaining members of his team, and Dean's hands were suddenly bound in handcuffs, as were Joshua's. Joshua grimaced, fumbling his phone, then gave Dean a discreet nod.

Dean hid a smile. The two of them might loathe one another, but they could at least work together to get out of this mess.

"Bring their things and take them to the van." Reynolds ordered, his gun held close, and with Dean and Joshua being shoved in front of them, they were marched out of the cafe by the FBI agents, attracting the curious stares of the patrons as they did so.

"You know...I always wondered about you. I wondered what sort of maniac could open up with machine guns on innocent people the way you and your brother did. I always thought you must be some sort of monster. But then, when we finally catch up to you...we find all sorts of stuff we never wanted to find out about. So Dean, you are going to tell me everything you know about what the hell Valente is, what the hell those others that are after you are, and you're going to do it now, or I swear, I'll look the other way while Charlie here brains you." Reynolds said as they sat in the back of the van.

"Look dude, you're seriously over your head here. We're hunters, we fight the supernatural, and right now, you're in more trouble than you can possibly imagine just by holding us. We have angels, demons, vampires, you guys, all after us. And you're the easiest ones to grasp. We've got a dragon chasing us, and we also have a Leviathan after us too. That's what your buddy Valente is. A Leviathan, something older even than angels and very nasty. The supernatural exists, and we fight it, and right now, we're stuck in the middle of a multi way civil war between all the factions that are out to kill us." Dean explained, and Reynolds shook his head slowly.

"You know, a week ago, you could have come out with that and I would have thought you were crazy. But after losing the others to whatever the hell these things are, well I must say I'm inclined to believe you. So, that leaves me with a problem. You see, you're wanted for numerous counts of mass murder." Reynolds said, and Dean shook his head.

"It's not me and Sam you want. Leviathans transformed into us and did all those things to force us out into the open, to try and catch us. We didn't commit all those crimes that you're after us for." Dean said, and Reynolds scratched his bald head musingly.

"You know, I'm actually inclined to believe that too. But I now have you. So I want to know exactly how we stop these damn things." He said, and Joshua rolled his eyes.

"Believe me, you can't stop these things. And we can't unless we get back to the others. You might have learnt from what happened to your buddies. Normal humans who don't have a clue what they're doing don't mix with the supernatural. Case in point." He said irritably, but Reynolds ignored him as he looked once more at Dean.

"Alright. These things are after you. If you are right about these Leviathans, then we can protect you." He said, and Dean scoffed.

"Trust me mate, you can't. These things are everywhere, and they're getting stronger." Dean said, and Charlie looked urgently at Reynolds.

"Just kill him! He deserves it after what he's done!" he urged, and Reynolds shook his head.

"I know you want justice for your brother, but this man is wanted in connection with several other crimes. Which means you can't just kill him willy nilly. But I assure you, after all he and his so called clone have done, he will be treated to the worst trial imaginable." He assured him, and Dean shook his head.

"You don't know what you're doing." He warned, and Reynolds rolled his eyes.

"Well that is why we're going to keep you around. Now, I've seen things on this case that have made me question everything I know. And the crimes you've committed over the years, well let's just say I'm thoroughly inclined to let Charlie blow your head off. But I have a job to do, so you're going to tell me how I can manage it. Got it?" Reynolds asked dangerously, leaning close to Dean.

Dean glowered at him.

"Trust me, you don't know what you're doing. You're pissing off some very powerful beings." Dean warned, and Reynolds shrugged.

"So have you. The others can get in the queue. Now, why don't we start with these angels, how do we kill them?" he asked, and Dean could see the other agents looking at him hungrily.

"You don't. We do." He said, and Charlie stood up.

"Enough of this! Admit everything you bastard!" he roared, and before the others could stop him, he fired his tazer into Dean's neck.

Dean gave several shuddering gasps before he passed out, vaguely aware of Reynolds yelling as he did so.

XX

"Aww Dean, how could you get yourself arrested?" Sam moaned in exasperation as he and Garth entered the coach having checked the cafe for his brother, who hadn't been answering his phone

"The FBI have gotten Dean." Garth reported to Billy and Missouri, who cursed.

"Well that blows. How do we get them back?" Billy asked, and Bobby looked at Sam, who was already playing with his phone.

"We activate the GPS in Dean's phone. Got them, they're heading out of the city." He said, and Billy nodded.

"Alright, let's go get big brother back." He said, gunning the engine.

There was then a rumble of thunder, and rain suddenly started pelting down onto the roof of the coach.

"Um, wasn't the forecast clear for today?" Bobby asked worriedly, and he and Sam exchanged dark looks and they looked up to see blue lightning cracking across the sky.

"Raphael." Sam cursed, and Diamond looked at him.

"How the hell did he find us? We're covered in Enochian symbols and you have them on your ribs!" Bobby protested, and Sam contemplated it.

"What if he isn't looking for us and is looking for someone else who is looking for us?" Marion asked, his face pale.

"What do you mean?" Sam asked, and Marion looked at him worriedly.

"I mean the dragon is back, and he's getting closer!"

"Step on it Billy!" Missouri ordered and the coach and caravan trundled away from the cafe, just as a fireball boomed behind them.

XX

Crowley still retained the expensive home he had had during the Apocalypse, where he had given the Colt back to those denim clad nightmares the Winchesters. Seeking a break from hell, he had returned here for a drink of expensive whisky, expecting good news to come from the Winchesters very soon, and that would put paid to the plans for the Apocalypse and the possibility of Lilith usurping his throne.

Entering the main room, he crossed to the drinks cabinet, only to be met with a vicious sounding growl.

"He doesn't like traitors. Which my dearest Crowley...you are." A female voice said, and Crowley felt his blood run cold in fear as he turned to face the beautiful, blond, pale form of Lilith, her eyes shimmering as she sat at ease in one of his armchairs, looking for all intents and purposes like a queen.

"Lilith." He said in greeting, and she gestured her head, calling off her hellhound to allow him access to his whisky cabinet, and he made his way towards it hastily, needing a drink now more than ever.

"It's been a while. I see you've come up in the world. Formerly my lieutenant, and now the king of hell itself. Huh. Azazel must be turning in his grave considering what now occupies the throne he held for so long." She said in disgust, stroking the hellhound fondly as Crowley filled two glasses and passed one to her.

"Azazel was a tyrant, you said so yourself." Crowley said, toasting her, nervously keeping an eye on her and her hellhound.

"Yes, he was a tyrant, but he was a tyrant who kept hell together and kept it strong just as I did. Is this holy water?" she asked suspiciously, and he smiled slightly, inclining his head to her.

"You always were shrewd. No it isn't, only pure grain alcohol." He assured her, and she sipped it, and once it had passed her inspection she seemed to relax a little, her eyes focused on him calculatingly.

"You aren't fit to run hell. You may have convinced the rank and file that you're the best choice, but remember, without me you wouldn't be anywhere near the position you are now in. And I return from the dead, only to find that my once faithful servant has usurped a throne that ought to be mine, totally reorganised hell so it is a shadow of its former self, and who also happens to be working with the Winchesters to try and kill me." She hissed, and he shrugged.

"Pure misinformation, you shouldn't fall for it." He said, sitting down in another armchair, ignoring the growls of her hellhounds.

"Really? I am curious Crowley. Because rumour has it that you were scurrying around looking for an archangel sword. Why would you be doing that?" she asked coldly, and he smiled coyly.

"You can never be too careful." He said, and she smiled, but there was no humour in it.

"Don't play games with me Crowley. I'm not in the mood for it. Now..." she said, getting to her feet and pacing towards him slowly and steadily, and Crowley found his interest piqued.

"Oh, is that why you're here? To rekindle an old flame?" he asked, and she shook her head as she laughed and advanced upon him.

"I don't think so. Not after your shameful actions. Now Crowley...let us be frank with one another." She said, and raised her hand and he was suddenly blasted across the room, slamming into the far wall.

"Lilith, be reasonable..." he breathed, and she gave him a serpentine smile.

"Oh I am. That's the only reason I haven't scattered your atoms for your treachery in not trying to continue the Apocalypse, for aiding in the downfall of Lucifer and for working with two of our greatest enemies to try and kill me. You know me Crowley. I am not one for sentiment. You are alive only because you are useful to me, and at the end of that usefulness, I will destroy you. But for now I have other fish to fry, two little prawns called Sam and Dean Winchester. Now. I know of your alliance with them, your deal, including all the little subsections...heh, I always did admire how you did that. Anyway, I know all about it. And considering how they wouldn't have thought of it themselves, I'm also assuming it was you who encouraged them to go after Death's scythe in order to use it on me. So, that tells me that you know where they are. And you are going to tell me." She hissed, pressing her face right up against his, her white eyes glowing with fury and power.

Crowley snarled, his own eyes turning their natural colour, and she smiled in amusement.

"Well well well, someone has clearly been taking their vitamins. And to think I knew you when you were a mere black eyed demon. I myself promoted you to red eyes, but now look...the king of hell, probably the only yellow eyed demon left in existence." She purred, and he glowered at her.

"I can destroy you myself." He spat, and she smiled in amusement.

"Oh please Crowley, you can no more kill me than you can walk to the moon. I'm too powerful for you and you know it, I always was. So, if you wish to leave this encounter with your life, you will tell me exactly where the boys are, and I know you know, so don't even think of lying to me." She said, her voice dangerous and taut, and Crowley sighed.

"They're here in New York." He admitted, and he was suddenly freed from her telekinetic grip.

"Good. See how much better you feel now you have that off your chest dear Crowley? Thankfully, we aren't far from them. Now Crowley, let me make one thing quite...plain!" she roared and threw him over the room, her power rippling as he smashed into a table, grunting in pain.

"You are nothing more than a foul traitor, where the bottom circle of hell is reserved for. And after I have killed your little hunter soldiers, I will return to hell and take what rightfully belongs to me. And then Crowley..." she said, squatting down beside him and grinning maliciously, "then you will spend eternity in the bottom circle of hell, reaping the reward of traitors and cowards alike as you are tortured for the rest of existence."

She stood, giving him one last disgusted look, beckoned to her hellhound and left the room, with Crowley, furious at her, struggling to remove the block she had put on him. She was right, she was still too powerful to combat directly. And now she was heading after the Winchesters.

Crowley pulled himself to his feet, brushing himself off. Lilith always was far too much to handle for any one demon. He snarled. Those boys had better pull their fingers out and destroy her, otherwise, he would spend the last minutes he had before she gutted him destroying them.

XX

New York City was filled with sirens as numerous fiery explosions had been reported across the city, but still the coach kept ahead of the dragon as it dodged in between buildings, firing down at the coach and the caravan as they made their desperate escape away from the beast.

However, while the dragon was out there, he was only one of their problems. The storm was building in ferocity as Raphael hunted for them in the city streets, and pretty soon he would be on to them as well as soon as they left the city itself. While the natural course would obviously be to just stay zig zagging through the city, due to the fact that they had to go and rescue Dean they didn't have much choice in the matter as they were getting ever closer to the edge of the city itself.

"That car has been following us since we left the cafe." Jody said, peering out the back window of the caravan, squinting to see if she could recognise who was following them.

Billy sped them down the thoroughfare that led out of the city, throwing the car following them into sharp relief, and Jody cursed.

"It's the bloody Leviathans, how the hell did they find us?" she demanded, and Meg swore.

"Probably following the big booms from the bloody dragon." She hissed as the dragon swooped down at them, firing at them.

However they were now free of the city itself, and Raphael was no longer restrained. Meg winced as he appeared high in the sky above them, looking down at them all in contempt.

"That blasted dragon is beginning to annoy me." He grumbled, and was forced to ward off a wreath of fire as the dragon fired up at him.

Billy wove the coach and the caravan from side to side, and winced as a car right beside them blew up as a result of the fireball.

"What the hell is going on with this biblical storm?" he demanded, and Missouri cursed.

"That will be the archangel who is after us. He's doing it." She said as lightning blazed across the sky, a fork plunging into the ground and sending dangerous looking sparks bouncing across the road as Billy drove onwards. Dark as it was, the road wasn't as crowded as it would usually be, and seeing the approaching fireballs and oncoming lightning bolts, many of the other cars were wisely making their hasty way out of the coach's path. The Leviathans were gaining on them as well, getting ever closer to the rear of the caravan, and it was only a matter of time before they reached them.

"Alright, we need to do something about this. Have you got any decent weapons?" Meg asked Tamara, who nodded.

"I have grenades, I use them when I find a vamp nest. I also have a spike trap! I nicked it from a chatty traffic cop who kept staring at my chest." She said, and Meg grinned as the woman pulled out a drawer from beneath her bed, revealing a safe box and a coiled up mess of spikes.

"Great." Meg said, picking up the trap while Tamara got the grenades, and she followed her through to the main room.

In the front of the coach, Sam was wincing as the fireballs got ever closer to the coach, illuminating them all in orange light as the dragon got more and more used to Billy's swaying driving.

"How close are we to Dean?" Garth asked, checking Sam's phone.

"Well I can see a van up ahead which is going as fast as it can, but we're gaining on it. But that dragon is getting closer, and so are those lightning strikes." Billy grumbled.

Sam frowned. Even if they could get rid of the dragon it would make their job considerably easier, because the creature was getting far too close for comfort. Cursing at his inability to kill the damn thing earlier, and also worried about Dean, it didn't occur to him what he could do until he saw the emergency box, and something that might just work. Breaking the glass, he pulled out a flare gun, with four shots, making it a far more useful option than his other one. Besides, he wanted to give it to Dean when they got him back.

"There's another car following us!" Jody screeched over the open phone line and Billy checked his mirrors to see a small sedan pull out from behind the Leviathans car and join the chase.

"Oh now what? The vampires?" Cox asked in the caravan, and Meg, who was opening the door, shook her head.

"Doubt it, they need something bigger than that to fit them all in to. But whoever it is, I doubt they're friends considering how many we have at the moment. Alright, how good's your throwing arm?" Meg asked Tamara, who smirked.

"Pretty good."

"Well prove it sister." Meg said, dropping the spike trap onto the road.

Sam clambered up on Garth's shoulders, popping his head out of the sunroof, and aimed the flare gun.

"You are mine Winchester!" the dragon roared.

"Suck on this!" Sam yelled, and fired a flare right towards the dragon.

The dragon roared in fury, veering off and the flare exploded, illuminating the entire area. And then, an explosion came from behind the caravan, and Sam watched as the Leviathans car spiralled out of control, its rear aflame and one of their wheels going only by the trim. The dragon gave a furious roar and swung back down towards them, and Garth yelped in excitement.

"The van's breaking off, Billy go left!" he yelled.

"I can see it I can see it!" he retorted and drove down a small dirt track, following the FBI van.

Sam dropped back down into the coach, watching as another explosion went off behind the caravan.

"What's going on back there?" Missouri asked as she came back into the main cabin.

"Someone is trying to blow up our pursuit but it isn't working too well." Sam reported, and Billy brought the coach to a stop as he saw the FBI bundle Dean and Joshua out of the coach.

"Alright people, let's move it, take as many weapons as you can!" he ordered, grabbing his shotgun, and Sam put the flask in his pocket as he ran out, grabbing the sword hilt as he did so.

"Dean!" he cried, and his brother, who looked a little punch drunk, turned at the sound of his voice as the rain beat down on the two of them and the entire scene was illuminated by lightning.

"Sammy!" he yelled as Reynolds forced him into the farm house.

"Sam, we have Leviathans and someone else chasing us, eta asap!" Marge called as she led her group out of the caravan.

"They have Dean in the farmhouse." He told her, and she shook her head.

"We wouldn't have this problem if you would use your powers." Meg hissed, and he glowered at her.

"Go to hell Meg, I'm not doing it." He said, just as they were bathed in light, and Sam gulped as he realised who it must be, as it was a limo that had come up another dirt track.

"Lilith...everyone into the farmhouse now!" he yelled and the entire group hurtled towards the farmhouse, as the demon left her limo, eyes shimmering, and murder in mind.

The Leviathans car screamed to a stop and the three clambered out, giving a roar as they did so and approached the farmhouse.

Raphael smiled in delight. He had them. He summoned his other angels with a flick of his finger, and licked his lips in anticipation. Now he had them.

The dragon had regained the lost ground, and now saw the small house where his prey had entered. Swooping down, he prepared to end the Winchesters once and for all.

The other car came to a stop a little further up the road, and the occupants climbed out, dressed to kill and headed for the small farmhouse.

And at the top of the road, having kept a safe distance, Grant smiled in delight as he trundled the van down towards the others. Now they had them all, and this time there would be no escape.

XX

"Your friends are all about to be under arrest as well." Reynolds grunted as he shoved Dean into the house.

"Look, the storm, the fireballs, both of them are being caused by the people after us! Trust me, you don't want to get involved in this! Let us go and we can draw them off!" Dean pleaded, and Charlie sneered at him, though he was nursing a black eye from where Reynolds had hit him in order to stop him killing an unconscious Dean.

"Impossible." He spat, and Dean glowered at him.

"Considering what Valente did to your station mates, I would think you would be a little brighter about this! Those things out there are hardened killers!" Dean yelled, and there was then a rustling noise, which made Dean's heart drop like a stone.

"Now Dean, after all we've been through together." Raphael said in disappointment as he and his four other angels entered the room.

Dean looked at Raphael, glowering at the man, and this time he truly took in the other four angels. The one on the far right was a teenage kid, his hair spiked up to the side like Dean had used to do his, a sort of dirty blonde colour, and he was clad in jeans, a tshirt and a black hoody, and he was staring at Dean curiously. The one next to him was a skeletal looking woman, long thing hands, arms, legs and neck, her hair twisted into a tight bun, a sour expression on her face and clad in the dark grey clothing of a nun. The one to the left of Raphael was another woman, this one a young woman, her eyes bright and piercing, she was clothed in a leather jacket with a mostly see through vest on, her long black hair was tied into a ponytail and she had a triumphant expression on her face. The final angel on the far left was a bulky heavyset man, dressed in a lumberjack like shirt, a faint trace of reddish hair on his head, and with mean little eyes.

The FBI agents raised their weapons to face the angels.

"Who are you people?" Reynolds demanded, his voice and gun steady, though his eyes were scanning the room desperately for any escape route.

"We are angels of the lord. And you are interfering in our mission." Mary, the nun dressed angel said with disdain, looking at Reynolds as if he were something unpleasant on the bottom of her shoe.

The door then banged open, and the FBI turned their guns onto the newcomers, and Dean breathed a sigh of relief as he saw who it was. Sam, Marion, Billy, Diamond, Missouri, Meg, Marge, Garth, Tamara and Bobby all entered, their own weapons raised to cover both the FBI and the angels.

"Get away from my brother." Sam bit out, gesturing to the FBI and outnumbered and outgunned, they reluctantly stepped away from Dean and Joshua.

"Sam. Been awhile." Raphael said in contempt, and Sam glowered at him as he moved to his brother's side, slicing down at the handcuffs with the sword and freeing his brother's hands before passing him his weapon.

The window then broke, showering the terrified members of the FBI in glass as to their great surprise, the vampires sprang through, including Gordon, however, it was clear he was still in pain from the beating Sam had given him.

"Gordon." Sam bit out, moving towards the vampire, but Dean put a hand on his shoulder.

"Simmer down Sammy, or this is going to get real ugly real fast." He said as Missouri freed Joshua, hefting her own rifle as the hunters all came together, covering the vampires, the angels and the FBI.

"You are all interfering in an FBI investigation." Reynolds said bravely, and Gordon laughed.

"You really don't know what it is you're dealing with here do you? Out of all the creatures in this room, you're the most insignificant." He taunted, earning giggles from the vampires.

Part of the roof caved in, allowing the rain to begin to lash indoors as the dragon dropped to the floor, reverting back to its human form, growling as it did so.

"Ah, a true party. I'm afraid I will be taking possession of the Winchesters from now on." He growled, earning him irritated glances from Raphael and Gordon.

However before either faction could make a move, the back door swung open and the dragon was forced against the wall telekinetically. The hunters turned to face the kitchen, their weapons rising to hear the sound of hellhounds snarling and Lilith, flanked by her two demonic bodyguards entered, smiling at them all in delight.

"Well I've missed the previews but arrived just in time for the main event." She said smugly, releasing the dragon as she looked excitedly at the hunters.

"Lilith." Dean growled, and she smiled, but before she could say anything else, the door banged open once more, and Valente entered with Villar and Featherstone in tow.

"You know Reynolds, you are really beginning to get on our nerves." He said as he entered, and Sam nudged Dean slightly.

"Um...is this what it was like in the hospital?" he whispered, and Dean nodded.

"Yeah, and back then we didn't have the bloody dragon chasing us." He muttered back, and Sam looked around the room tensely.

Angels, demons, vampires, a dragon, the FBI, Leviathans and hunters all in one room, this couldn't end well.

"Well, not real sorry I missed that." He said, pointing his gun at Lilith.

"Now, let us think about this. I need the Winchesters alive. I need them to tell me where Castiel is and I need them, for the time being at least, to serve their roles in the Apocalypse. Which means, I cannot allow these human fools, the vampires, the demons, the Leviathans or the dragon to take them." Raphael said, earning him glares from the associated beings.

"Look, we don't know what you're talking about but..." one agent said, and in disdain, Owen raised a hand, and with a bloody gag, the man's tongue was ripped from his mouth, sending blood pouring down his chin.

"What the hell are you people?" Reynolds asked, shooting a bullet at the angel, who simply shrugged it off.

"How did you find us?" Sam shot at Lilith, and she smiled.

"Crowley isn't quite as powerful or as loyal as he likes to think. He sang like a canary. Now angel, I'm afraid I cannot allow you to take poor sweet little Sam, he belongs to me." She hissed, and Gordon growled at her.

"No, Sam belongs to me." He said, and she looked at him dismissively.

"You hold no threat for me vampire." She sneered, and the vampires tensed.

"Look...everyone needs to just calm down." Reynolds said, as the one whose tongue was removed collapsed to the floor, losing far too much blood.

"You know...I think there is something we can all agree on." Valente said, and Reynolds looked at him in alarm.

"And what might that be?" Raphael bit out.

"That these irritating humans are getting in our way." He growled, and Sam and Dean both tensed up as they saw the evil smiles on the faces of the others.

"Oh crap." Diamond said, and the entire farmhouse blazed into action.

The Leviathans gave roars and hurtled at the remaining FBI guards. Billy and Marion tackled Reynolds and Charlie to the ground, but Missouri didn't get there in time to save the other one, and he screamed as Featherstone's jaws clamped around his head and ripped it clean off. The vampires gave hisses and sprang towards the others, while the angels turned and began to fight as well. The dragon gave a roar of its own, and a jet of fire was set loose from his mouth, forcing the hunters to scatter as the entire scene devolved into bloody chaos.

Sam winced as the dragon's fire passed over their head, and he sent blast after blast at the angels, setting alight the clothes of Owen. The battle was already in full swing, this time the Leviathans meant business, and Valente grabbed Missouri and tossed her bodily across the room into the wall.

"Alright, you take the left, I take the right." Dean said, and Sam nodded, and Sam motioned to Diamond while Dean motioned to Garth, and they jumped out from their hiding place, firing their weapons at the enemies who were rife throughout the entire house.

Joshua was firing away at the Leviathans, backed up by Billy and by Tamara and Marge, scattering the Leviathans from their pursuit of them. Meg had a blade in her hand, and with Bobby following her, she rushed at the vampires, who were hissing dangerously as they attacked. The dragon made a beeline for Lilith, sending plumes of flame at her, but she was reflecting them with her powers, setting the wooden interior of the house alight. Apronia was locked in battle with Featherstone, the evil Leviathan roaring in fury as she tried to rip the head off the younger looking angel. Aimo had drawn his sword and had crossed the room to the centre, and swung his sword down just in time to prevent Marion from being savaged by a hellhound.

"Um, thanks!" Marion said, climbing to his feet, and he fired across the room, catching a vampire in the shoulder.

The hellhounds gave howls and one leapt at Diamond, knocking her off her feet. Sam swore and swung the hilt down, lacerating the creature's neck, and a pool of blood gushed onto the floor as it went still.

"Thanks." She said, taking his hand to get up, as the dragon sent a ball of fire spinning at the two of them

"Sammy!" Dean yelled, before he was set upon by a hellhound.

Bobby then flickered in front of the fireball, and it fizzled out as it met the cold air.

"Thanks Bobby." Sam said, and the dragon sacrificed it's duel with Lilith and went straight for Sam.

Garth shot the hellhound off of Dean, and helped Dean to climb to his feet, but the two of them ducked as a vampire was knocked spiralling over their heads by one of Lilith's demons.

"Meg, knife!" Dean yelled, and the demon, who was locked in a brawl with Verity, arced her foot up and caught the vampire in the jaw, and in her opponent's distraction, she flicked the knife to Dean, who arced up with the demon killing blade and plunged it into the demon's neck, his black eyes flashing like a bad light before he dropped to the ground, dead.

Raphael conjured a pulse of white light that obliterated several more hellhounds, but he then found himself face to face with Villar, who gave a roar and launched himself at the archangel. Reynolds and Charlie were on their feet, covering Billy and Marion as they fired at the vampires. Niall gave a lethal sounding hiss and came at them, but Aimo twirled, grabbing the vampire and with a touch and an intent look, his body was immolated.

Featherstone won the upper hand with Apronia, slamming the angel into the wall before she went to reinforce her partner in the fight with Raphael. Meg was still battling Verity, the dragon had Sam and Diamond pinned, Missouri was stirring against the wall only to find herself blocked in by the other demon and what sounded like two hellhounds. Marge then appeared, blasting away at the demon, and Dean tossed Missouri the knife, which she stabbed into the other demon's gut, making him drop to the floor.

"Sammy!" Dean cried, firing a round into the dragon.

The dragon then expanded its wings and flew at Dean, knocking him and Garth off their feet, but it was the break Sam and Diamond needed. Diamond fired at Grant as he made a move towards them, and Sam approached the dragon from behind, raising the sword to stab it and end its threat.

The dragon spun, the wing knocking Sam off balance and the sword flew from his hand as he fell, and Diamond pumped shots at the dragon to ward it off, as Sam climbed to his feet and rushed to his brother's side.

"This is too cramped, we need to get out of here." Sam said, but Raphael heard them, and bolts of lightning then created fires around every possible escape route.

"Um, bang goes that plan." Garth said, leaping back to his feet.

The Leviathans had come together, and Lilith was up against them on her own, at least until Owen appeared, and the demon and the angel used their own respective powers to ward them off. Raphael had forced away Villar, and had just burned a sigil into the wall, and with a single word, the sigil began to grow, and Dean and Sam looked at each other as the shape jogged their memory.

"Balls!" Bobby cried, as the angel from the other world that Balthazar had sent the boys to arrived.

"Welcome back Virgil." Raphael said, and between the two of them, they created a massive pulse of light that blew the Leviathans out of the building.

"Not good." Lilith hissed, wincing as Billy cut through the neck of Peter, destroying another vampire.

Gordon leapt at Sam, catching Sam's throat in his hand, and the vampire grinned in excitement as he brought Sam to face him.

"You're not strong enough to stop me now." He hissed, and Dean fired a round into the vampire, making him stagger backwards, and Sam kicked Gordon in the ribs, sending him tumbling back.

"What are all these things?" Charlie demanded as the Leviathans came back towards the house.

"Monsters!" Marion yelled, killing another hellhound.

There were now six angels in the building, one demon, several remaining hellhounds, three approaching Leviathans, five vampires, the dragon and their entire group.

Meg headbutted Verity, sending the vampire falling back into the way of an oncoming fireball, and Garth had grabbed the sword and was looking for the dragon when it shot a jet of flame at him, igniting his sleeve. While Garth yelped in pain, Marge ran out, firing her gun at the dragon, backed up by Missouri, forcing the dragon away from her burning nephew. Bobby then appeared and smashed a chair into the dragon's head, making it stumble.

"Regroup!" Billy roared, his cigar smoking, just as Apronia appeared behind him.

"Billy!" Diamond screamed, and the angel flicked her hand at him, and with a cry, he exploded all over the place.

"No!" Diamond yelled, running at the angel, who beckoned to her smugly, but Sam grabbed a hold of the girl, holding her back.

Virgil flicked his hand and Marge, Garth and Missouri flew through the air, slamming into the far wall. Lilith gave a snarl, and, seeing she was overmatched, she made her eyes shimmer, and a massive hole was blown in the wall of the house. Whistling, she ran for it, with Dean and Bobby hot in pursuit.

"Dean!" Sam yelled as Grant jumped at him, teeth going for his brother's neck.

Marion shot Grant in the mouth, but the distraction had been enough to allow Lilith to flee, and with another flash of her eyes she went a cascade of rubble down from the chimney to block up her escape route, dislodging the iron chimney pot and trapping Bobby. The dragon gave a roar as Raphael cast a bolt of lightning at it, fire meeting electricity, but while the two struggled momentarily, the outcome was never in doubt, and the lightning crashed into the dragon, blowing him through the roof with a wail. The Leviathans had returned and gave a roar as they once more entered the battle, but with Lilith and the dragon gone, and the FBI faction virtually non existent, the hunter group was being pushed back, and Valente had Joshua trapped against the corner.

"Foolish human." He snarled, as a bullet shot whipped out and punctured his head, spilling black blood to the floor, and Joshua slammed his fist into Valente's gut, smiling as four more humans, all of them clearly hunters, entered the room.

"About time you got here Emily!" he said, and her eyes scanned the room until she saw Sam, and raised her gun at him, her expression deadly.

"Sammy!" Dean barked, and Sam moved just in time, though her bullet skimmed his shoulder, making him cry out in pain.

"What the hell? Who are you?" Tamara demanded from her own corner, pinned by Owen.

"Emily Wandell." The assassin said coolly, her eyes trained on Sam in hate.

"Joshua, you double crossing son of a bitch!" Dean yelled, his mind filling in the blanks, who he had been texting, firing at the other hunter, and he was joined by Diamond, as the other hunter made a run for it.

"We'll get them later, let's get out of here!" Joshua said, and joined the other four as they escaped the house, and Gordon's vampires followed them out of the house, the angels letting them go.

Leaving their remaining group, Reynolds and Charlie against the Leviathans and the angels.

Owen lifted Tamara up by the hair and threw her over to the corner Dean and the others were in, and with a single gesture all of the remaining survivors were thrown to their side, where they all struggled to their feet.

"They belong to us!" Valente roared, but Raphael simply ignored them and with a flash the three of them were gone.

"I have to admit, you lot have done rather well to elude me for so long." Raphael said, as, flanked by Virgil, Owen, Apronia, Mary and Aimo he advanced upon them all.

Sam looked worriedly around the rest of their group. Marion seemed mostly fine, but his ankle was at a funny angle from where he had landed which could mean it was sprained. Meg was covered in scratches and there was blood coming from her mouth as she glared up at the angel. Diamond had tears in her eyes due to the death of Billy, but she was still focused on Raphael, her gun pointing at him. Missouri seemed dazed, and Garth was clutching his burnt arm in pain, while Marge had a wound in her side. Tamara was clutching her head from where Owen had lifted her up by her hair, but other than that she was alright. Reynolds was there too, looking very white and scared, and Charlie was wheezing in fright due to a damaged rib. Bobby was standing anxiously behind the boys, who rose to face Raphael, who was smiling at them triumphantly. Dean was alright aside from a few scrapes and bruises, and Sam was fine aside from the gash in his shoulder.

"You led me a merry chase boys. Now, tell me, where is Castiel?" Raphael demanded, and Sam shook his head.

"Not got a clue, couldn't tell you." He said, and Dean nodded.

"Exactly right. He's dead, the big mouths killed him." He said, and Raphael looked at him disdainfully.

"I am not nearly as patient as Zachariah was. So, either you tell me where Castiel is, or I take out my frustrations on your darling little Sammy." He said, and Dean froze in fear, edging slightly in front of Sam protectively.

"Can we start to kill the others?" Apronia asked, eyeing Diamond with relish, making the hunter girl glower.

Sam pulled the archangel sword from his waist as Raphael smiled.

"If I do not get an answer, then yes. Observe Dean." Raphael said and flicked a finger at Sam, who suddenly fell to the floor, clutching his stomach in pain, vomiting up blood violently as his guts knotted, and he looked at Dean with tear filled eyes.

"Stop it you son of a bitch!" Dean yelled, sinking to his knees beside Sam, trying to stop him from retching.

"Sir, do we really have to do this?" Aimo asked worriedly, looking at Sam screaming on the floor in pain with pity and sadness.

Raphael raised his finger, and Sam came to a stop, breathing heavily, the blood vanishing from his mouth, and Raphael again turned his attention to Dean.

"Where is Castiel?" Raphael demanded, and Sam shook his head at Dean, who looked at his brother worriedly, before glowering at the archangel.

"Screw you." He spat, and Raphael glowered.

"Owen, pick a target and kill them in the most painful way you can imagine." Raphael ordered, once more raising his finger towards Sam and Dean.

"No, sir, don't!" Aimo protested anxiously, and Owen laughed derisively.

"Grow a pair boy." He snarled, shoving past the teenage angel, and raising his hand towards Missouri, who gulped in fear.

"No!" Aimo screamed hysterically, and plunged his sword through Owen's neck.

Raphael was distracted from deciding what torture to use as Owen gave a wet gurgle, his hands flying to his throat as Aimo withdrew his sword from his neck and allowed his body to fall to the floor, wings embossing onto it as he did so.

"You filthy little traitor!" Raphael roared, sending an arc of lightning at him, but Aimo vanished before he could strike him. Dean and Sam looked at each other in surprise, before a second later, they were gone from the house, dropping to the comfy seats in the coach, with the teenage angel right beside them and some of the others appearing in the chairs and on the bed, looking around in confusion.

"The others are all in the caravan!" he said, and turned to Cox and Jody, who were staring back from the front of the car in surprise.

"We'll hit the ground running, get the engine going!" the angel urged, just as a scream of fury emitted from the farmhouse and Raphael destroyed the house in a blaze of white light, his eyes bulging in fury, a storm already developing, the other angels following him, anger etched on their faces as they tried to locate the traitor who had just turned on their own.

Cox started the engine just as Raphael raised his hand a bolt of lightning travelling straight for them. Sam and Dean closed their eyes in fear and when they realised there was no explosion or lethal pain, they felt it was safe to open them again, and they found themselves driving leisurely along a road that had signs pointing to San Francisco on it.

"What the hell?" Sam asked Dean, who shrugged, and they both turned to the teenage angel.

Who smiled at them, before staggering forwards and slumping to the floor in a dead faint.

**Well that will change things a tad won't it?**

**RIP Billy. But at least we've finally made some progress, some of the bad guys are dead, two vampires, two demons, two FBI members, a few hellhounds and an angel are all dust. Go our side!  
**

**But sadly, it cost us Billy to do so, and all of the big bads are still out there. But now we have a way to kill them all, and the boys are quickly going to get fed up of being on the run.  
**

**What is the deal with Aimo? I know he seems rather odd for an angel (he isnt an asshole for a start), but the reasons will be revealed for that next chapter. After all, the kid did just kill a superior, defy Raphael and allow everyone else to escape from his clutches when he had them where he wanted them.  
**

**And Crowley has been left rattled his his little tete a tete with Lilith, I dont fancy being in his shoes if she comes back for another round. Apologies if he seemed underpowered, but to me, even though hes the king of hell she still seems the most powerful demon theyve ever faced. After all, she is an Alpha.  
**

**So, the boys are reunited, they have their weapons and have a new angel friend. Romance is still on the cards I think, and I'm sure some of you can see where this is going, but I dont intend for it to be a Ruby or Lisa type romance for either boy never fear. And the demon blood question, well it is still lingering in the background.  
**

**Anyway, things start to hot up next chapter! As you can imagine Raphael is rather miffed at Aimo's betrayal, and he's running out of time to break the seals, and that isnt going as well as he would like, so he is getting closer to bringing about his plan and is getting nastier along with it. The dragon will also be rather annoyed, having been zapped by the angel twice now, but he too will be back very soon. Joshua has been exposed as a traitor and he has allied with another group of hunters, who, surprise surprise, aim to kill Sam (why are all these bad guys after just Sam?). And Roman will appear next chapter, and to quote Lord Darth Vader will be 'most displeased with the apparent lack of progress' Valente has made in trying to capture the boys. But worst of all, Lilith, having been forced into retreat twice now, is going to be seriously pissed and out for blood, and what she does next chapter will have a profound effect on the next few chapters! (still no idea how long its going to be, i'm making it up as I go along)  
**

**So, hope you like this chapter, I dont know I just didnt seem in it as usual with this chapter, I dont think its that good, but thats up to you.  
**

**So, as always please read and review, and hope to see you again tomorrow as things get worse for our heroes!  
**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural**

Bleeding Storm

Sam and Dean picked the angel up and lay him on the bed, looking at him curiously as the angel breathed as if sleeping.

"Did he save you lot?" Jody asked, stomping out, her foot still in plaster much to her great disgust.

"Yeah he did, killed one of his buddies too. Raphael is seriously pissed off." Dean said with grim satisfaction as Sam called the caravan to make sure everyone was there who was meant to be.

"You ok?" Jody asked in concern, and he nodded.

"Yeah, Charlie tazered me but aside from that I'm fine, but we've got injuries doc, you might want to take a look." Dean said, and Cox nodded, spotting a rest stop.

"Give me a sec or two and I'll get right on it." He said briskly, and Dean fetched the first aid box, gesturing for Sam to sit down.

"Dean, the others need patched up more than me, and besides, Cox can do it." He said, smiling, knowing he was going to lose this one before he even started.

"Yeah well...he may be a doctor and all but I'll feel better if I deal with you myself." He said stubbornly, and Sam rolled his eyes before exposing his shoulder to his brother.

"Thought as much. Everyone is on board, even Reynolds, but Charlie isn't." Sam reported, and Marion frowned from the seat.

"Might be a blessing and a curse then if he's out the road for the time being. Tazering an unarmed prisoner, I taught him better than that. He's betrayed the uniform." He said in disgust, shaking his head.

"I get where he's coming from. Someone kills my brother I want to kill him myself." Dean commented, cleaning Sam's bullet wound, and thinking he had done that a fair few times.

"Yes but you boys aren't policemen and usually the ones who kill you are slightly more dangerous than an ordinary human. Correct?" Marion asked pointedly as Cox brought the coach to a stop, before bustling back to find his things.

"He does have a point Dean. Let me think...I've died seven times and only two of them were human, and we wound up killing them too." Sam mused, wincing as Dean cleaned his wound.

He then looked up at his brother searchingly, to see Dean smiling slightly at his reminiscence, and Sam knew he was remembering each time he had gotten his brother back after he had been killed.

"You ok?" he asked in slight concern, and Dean nodded, applying cream to the bullet wound.

"Yeah, fine. Thanks for coming after me." He said with a grin, and Sam smiled.

"Well I supposed it was my turn, you came after me when Gordon got me." He said, and Dean grinned wider.

"Alright, I'll send everyone over here once I'm done, we need to figure out our next move correct?" Cox said, heading for the door, and Dean nodded.

"Yeah, and figure out what we're going to go with our new pet angel." Jody said, her hand on the kid's sword, pointing it at him in case he tried anything if he woke up.

Sam and Dean looked at each other in concern. After all, their last pet angel had bit them in the ass, and that was only after he had crapped on them from a great height, and after he had done that and bit them in the ass, he kicked them in the nuts for good measure. But this kid had just saved them all, transplanting them thousands of miles in order to escape Raphael. But where did that leave them?

XX

The entire group was packed into the coach, Cox haven given everyone the once over and was satisfied that they were alright and they all looked at Sam and Dean, who were sitting at the table.

"Alright. Seems to me that the first thing we have to do is take down the dragon." Dean said, and Marge looked at him sceptically.

"What with everyone else who's after us? Angels, demons, vampires, Leviathans and now Joshua and his band of merry assassins, and you want to focus on the dragon?" she asked, clearly thinking Dean was a few sticks short of a bundle.

"I should have known he was going to betray us, I never should have brought him along." Missouri said regretfully, shaking her bandaged head in self reproach, but Sam shook his head.

"You can't blame yourself Missouri. We all knew he was an asshole who hated me, but we didn't think he would move as fast as he did and we couldn't watch him twenty four seven anyway." He said kindly, and Bobby scowled.

"What worries me is that he's hooked up with Emily Wandell. She...well she isn't a very nice lady." He said, and Sam looked at him incredulously.

"Really? I'd never have guessed when her handshake was a bullet that would have gone into my head had I not moved." He said dryly, and Bobby glowered at him.

"Who is she? I've never heard of her." Garth said, and Bobby pursed his lips.

"Her story's much like yours actually Sam. She was at college when she found out her father had been killed." He said, and Dean glared at Meg irritably.

"Oh what, this is my fault?" she demanded, and he nodded.

"Yep. You're the one who possessed Sam and killed her daddy, hence this is all your fault." He said, and she rolled her eyes, wincing as she stretched the skin that was marked with cuts.

"She left college and took up hunting. Very cold customer, she could be an assassin for the government if she wanted. No remorse. Turns out her daddy wasn't the most caring of fathers, taught her to suppress all emotion." Bobby explained, and Cox looked at Sam and Dean curiously.

"Did your father do that with you?" he asked, and Dean smiled a little.

"Yeah. Problem is it doesn't work very well when it comes to each other." He said, making Sam smile.

"Anyway, she started hunting downs loads of nasties, very unpleasant girl. And considering who her friends were, you're in serious trouble Sam." Bobby said, and Sam groaned.

"Why are all these bad guys coming after me specifically? I mean Dean's done stuff too, can't they try and hunt him down for once?" he whined, and Missouri smiled.

"Yeah but these people don't think he's as bad as they reckon you are. Don't worry Sam, we know you're the good one out of the two." She said, patting his hand fondly, and Dean rolled his eyes.

"I'm prejudiced against here." He grumbled, and Garth looked at Marge.

"Was one of the ones with Emily, Garrett?" he asked, looking slightly worried, and she nodded.

"Yes. If memory serves he used to work with Steve every so often. Went on a killing spree when he turned up dead, exorcised the demons then killed the hosts." She said in distaste, and Dean frowned. He had heard of Garrett King's one man vendetta while looking for Steve's killer, and had purposely not told Sam in case Sam had felt obliged to go and turn himself over to the maniac.

"Who were the other two, anyone else we might have heard of?" Diamond asked from her perch, knowing she had seen the youngest one somewhere before.

"I didn't recognise the young one, but the other one was Weston Mayer. Not the cleverest of people, usually has to work with another hunter to provide the brains of an operation, but he's a damn good shot with a gun." Bobby said darkly, and Meg narrowed her eyes.

"I recognised the other one. After our last encounter before we met up again with Castiel, I met the youngest. Names Vance. Particularly hates wendigos. Brutal guy, very damaged." She explained, and Diamond clicked her fingers as she remembered where she had seen him before.

"That's right, the wendigo we were hunting! Another had been killed brutally, head hacked off, body incinerated, entrails displayed...it was him who had done it." She said darkly, and Dean felt slightly sick.

"Great, and now they're all after me as usual for something I didn't even do." Sam growled, glaring at Meg, who shrugged.

"Sue me." She said tartly, and Dean gave her a grim smile.

"Much rather gut you but we need to keep you around for the moment. So, we have demons, angels, Leviathans, hunters, vampires and the dragon all still after us. Reynolds!" Dean barked, bringing the man out of his reverie.

"Yes?" he asked meekly.

"Will the FBI send anyone else after us?" he asked, and Reynolds shook his head.

"Not unless I ask for help, or in three days they'll send someone looking for us. Otherwise, no." He said, and Dean nodded.

The man had been very shocked. His entire team was now dead, he had seen with his own eyes just what the people they were after them were capable of, and he was being forced to rely on the ones he was meant to be hunting for protection.

"Good. But that means you'll have to stick around for a while longer, can't have you running off and getting more help, we just got rid of one load of bad guys, we don't need any others." Dean said, and Reynolds nodded.

"I understand. But, if you are indeed innocent, I can help you. These things, whatever the hell they are, need to be stopped, and if you need my help you have it, just say the word." He said, and Dean nodded.

"Thanks. But if you hadn't arrested me then you might not be in this mess but never mind." He said, and Tamara looked at him curiously.

"Alright, so as we have Officer Dibble here, we're in the clear as far as the FBI is concerned unless some country yahoo spots you. Which means we still have Joshua, Lilith, Gordon, Raphael, Valente and the dragon still to deal with, so what makes you think we should take down the dragon first?" she asked, and Cox looked at her, his brow furrowed.

"I suppose it makes the most sense, he's the only one without any back up. If we get rid of him, we can at least breathe easier knowing we won't be incinerated any time soon." He reasoned, and Bobby nodded.

"Yeah, and there's another reason. Every time the dragon attacks us, Raphael spots it. He can't find us because of the sigils usually, but when the dragon finds us, it's rather hard not to notice that to him he's chasing a blank space. Every time he attacks, it lights up our location like a Christmas tree." He explained, and Jody's eyes widened in realisation.

"Well I suppose that makes some sense. If we deal with him, we don't need to worry about Raphael finding us all over again. I take it he's going to be pissed?" she asked Dean, and he nodded.

"Oh yeah, seriously. The angels are big on sticking to the rules and they don't like when someone else interferes with their precious plans, hence the torture back in the farmhouse. We aren't playing the game by Raphael's rules, so he's pissed off with that, we're interfering with his plans for the Apocalypse, we piss him off any because we won't roll over and do what he wants us to do, we don't show him any respect, we aren't telling him about Cas and now one of his angels has just turned on him and killed another one. He's pretty miffed." He said with satisfied relish.

"Alright, so how do we go about killing the dragon?" Marion asked, and Missouri looked at the sword hilt that they had.

"Well I assume all we need to do is stab him with this?" she asked, picking it up, and Sam nodded.

"Yeah, so we know how to kill him and we have a way to kill him, all we just need to do is get him." Garth said, and Diamond looked at him.

"Yeah, but how can we do that without bringing Raphael onto our case?" she asked worriedly.

"I might be able to help with that." A voice said from the bed and Sam and Dean turned to see the angel sit up, holding his head.

"Hi. Welcome back." Sam said kindly, as Cox bustled over to check him over.

"Well, you seem fine, but then again you're an angel, so what do I know? All I can say is if you were human I would be giving you a clean bill of health." He said, and the boy smiled at him.

"You got a name?" Meg asked, and the angel flinched as he beheld her.

"Wow...a demon up close, I didn't get much of a chance to see Lilith. But you look slightly better than she does." He commented, and Meg smiled.

"Thanks kid, but after all, she does have a good couple of thousand years on me." She said, and he cocked his head curiously at the boys.

"So you are the Winchesters. Raphael really doesn't like you." He said, and Dean grinned.

"Yeah, we gathered. So what is your name?" he asked, and the kid looked at them apologetically.

"Sorry. My name is Aimo." He said, and Marion extended a hand to him, which the angel looked at curiously.

"You have nice looking hands. Long life lines." He commented, looking at the hand.

Marion shot a perplexed look at the others, but most of them were hiding their smiles, and Marion lowered his hand.

"So, if you know your big boss doesn't like us, why help us escape? Because you saved all of us by doing what you did." Sam said, looking at the angel.

"Oh...you're welcome." Aimo said, and Sam looked at him curiously.

"Alright, so what's the deal? Not that we aren't grateful but why did you save us?" he asked, and Aimo looked down in embarrassment.

"I do not agree with Raphael, or his plans. He recruited me to act as one of his retainers when he returned from the dead. He was weak, he needed someone unknown who could travel around heaven without attracting too much attention. He was an archangel, I couldn't exactly say no to him. And back then, you have no idea what it was like." He said sadly, and Jody looked at him kindly.

"Just take your time. No one's blaming you for helping Raphael get back onto his feet." She said, and Aimo nodded.

"After Raphael was killed by the traitor Castiel, heaven was in chaos. Castiel killed thousands of angels with his powers, the garrisons were breaking apart. We were scattered, divided, leaderless, we didn't know what to do. All of our existence, someone had always told us what to do, and we didn't have anyone all of a sudden. And after he killed so many angels, all of a sudden Castiel disappeared as well. I felt a calling in the back of my mind and found the other angels, and together we discovered that Raphael still lived. Over the next several months we nursed him back to health, all the while he was planning to restart the Apocalypse and destroy everyone and everything that were denying the angels entry into Paradise." He said, and Dean scowled darkly. Seems Cas had screwed up the kid's life just as much as he had theirs.

"So, Cas went nuts, totally wrecked heaven. Raphael comes back and you guys are thrilled to see him return. That still doesn't explain why you helped us escape." Missouri said, and he shrugged.

"Well...he imposed his will on all of us. He wanted to restart the Apocalypse, as he had been planning to do before he got involved in the civil war with the traitor Castiel. So, we had to nurse him and further his plans while he regained his strength. But I didn't want to be involved in the Apocalypse. I like humans, I think they're funny, I want to be like some of them." He said softly, and Sam arced an eyebrow at Dean and Bobby. Aside from Anna, who had later turned on them, they had never heard an angel wish to be like a human before considering as a species they looked down on humans.

"You want to be like us? The last angel who wanted to be human stabbed us in the back." Dean said, and Sam shook his head.

"No, gut." He muttered, and Dean rolled his eyes.

"Yes, I heard of her. Anna. But I'm not like her. I just want to be like humans. Down here, you can all have fun, you can laugh and cry, and no one can stop you or demote you or incinerate you just for being yourself. I admire you all." Aimo said, and Diamond smiled at him.

"Believe me kid, it isn't all sunshine and roses." She said, and he nodded.

"I know, and that is why you so impress me. Once, on my first time away from heaven, I entered one of your funerals. While they were crying, they were laughing too, remembering this man who had died. I was struck by how persistent you are, that even in the depths of tragedy you can find something that makes it better. Many angels have lost their way, lost their faith due to the failure of the Apocalypse, the loss of the archangels and the decimation done to us by Castiel. But, maybe if we were more like you, we could cope better. After all, if one of your leaders dies, you simply elect another one. Even the demons can manage without their leader, and they eventually get a new one. I think we're more like the Leviathans than we like to think, they would be hopeless without their leader as well." He said, and Cox frowned.

"Alright, so you like humans. Is that the only reason you helped us?" he asked, and Aimo nodded.

"Yes. I like humans. I don't want to see you get wiped out, incinerated by a battle between Michael and Lucifer. I think they both belong where they are. Your world has failings yes, but it is still a lot better than heaven is right now. Some humans are evil, yes, but so many angels have lost their way that it is hard to see that we are meant to be protectors of good." He said softly, as though ashamed of his others.

"Well, you're right about that I suppose. We haven't met any decent angels. Even the one we thought was our friend stabbed us in the back." Dean growled, and Aimo nodded.

"I know of what Castiel did to you. It was shameful, just as much so as his purge of those who stood against him." He said sadly, and Sam looked at him curiously.

"Wait a minute. You like humans. You don't want us to be wiped out by the final battle. So why didn't you side with Castiel during the war, or try and stop them? Did you just realise you liked us recently?" he asked, his voice not accusatory, but curious.

Aimo flushed in embarrassment.

"I couldn't do anything during the Apocalypse. I wasn't old enough, my wings hadn't fully grown." He said, and Dean looked at him in surprise.

"Wait a minute, you're a kid even by angel terms?" he asked incredulously, and he nodded.

"Yes. In your terms I am approaching my fourth lifeday." He said, and the room went still as they looked at the angel in shock.

"Wait, you're only four years old?" Marge asked eventually once she got her voice back, and he nodded.

"Yes. Is that a problem?" he asked worriedly, and Garth shook his head.

"No, it's just we've never met an angel who is really young before." He assured him, and Aimo nodded, seeming to accept this answer.

"And as to the war with Castiel, I was unable to help. I was too young to get involved, and Raphael was keeping an eye out for any dissidents who may wish to join the traitor, and that meant that if you so much as mentioned his name with anything but scorn you were killed. I thought that when Raphael was killed I could finally do something to help, but then all of heaven fell into anarchy after the actions of the traitor. I just made my own way, I spent most of my time on earth observing humans, even watching their TV shows. I wanted to learn everything about you that I could. After all, you were the ones who stood up and defied destiny and fate time and time again. I admired you. America wasn't meant to become independent. The allies weren't meant to win World War Two. George W Bush wasn't meant to win the election. The Arab Spring wasn't meant to happen. But time and again, you humans took control of your own destinies, exasperating the other angels. And I wanted to be like you. You could infuriate those who were usually unshakeable, like Michael and Raphael. And then of course, there are the two of you. The Winchesters, who stood up to the plans of Michael and Lucifer, undid the greatest of all the angels, and prevented the Apocalypse all by yourselves. You're a great inspiration." Aimo said, and both boys flushed with pleasure at the earnest tone of his voice.

"So, we have a kid angel on our side. Cool." Garth said cheerfully, and he smiled at them hesitantly.

"Yes but I've placed you in danger. Raphael will be able to track me and he doesn't forgive betrayal." He said, downcast, and Dean smiled.

"Hey kid, don't worry about it. We're covered in Enochian symbols. Speaking of which, how did you get us in here?" he asked, and he shrugged.

"I realised two of your friends weren't in the house with you so I sent you to them." He explained, and Marion looked at him.

"What did you do with Charlie? You know, the idiot who was working with the Leviathans and the FBI?" he asked, and Aimo smiled a little.

"I sent him to a place called Angel Pine, I figured it would take him a while to get away from there." He said, and Sam and Dean grinned.

"Great. So...seeing as you've royally pissed off Raphael just like we're so fond of doing, I suppose you better stick around." Dean said, and Aimo nodded.

"Thank you, I won't let you down." He said, and Sam smiled at the young angel.

"Good, it might be kind of handy to have an angel around again." He said, and Amio looked at them sheepishly.

"Um, it might not be so good. If any of you die, I can't bring you back, I'm too young, I don't have enough power to resurrect people. Which I'm afraid means your friend that Apronia killed will have to stay dead." He said, and Diamond looked downhearted as he said it.

"Oh...that's ok, you want to be like a human, we can't resurrect people either." Jody said, patting his arm and he looked at her stump curiously.

"But I can heal minor wounds." He said, and gestured and most of the other's bumps and bruises healed up, and Jody's cast dropped off.

Cox looked at him incredulously, then felt Jody's leg.

"Don't you enjoy that too much now." Bobby growled, making Marge look at him questioningly.

"She's healed. And so are the rest of you by the looks of things. Pity you weren't awake earlier, could have saved me a fortune in first aid." He said, and Amio looked at him in confusion.

"What is first aid?" he asked, and Dean smiled.

"An offset to the bad stuff about humanity. So, you reckon you can help us with the dragon?" he asked, and Amio nodded.

"Indeed. I can block the dragon from Raphael's view, but I don't know how long it will last, he's a lot more powerful than me. Think of a mouse going up against a lion. But if I can find the dragon, I can bring him to you and block the view of the archangel." He said, and Sam frowned thoughtfully.

"That's good, it means that we can deal with him, then all we have to do is worry about everyone else who's after us. Can you find him?" he asked, and Amio nodded.

"Yes, I will be able to. How long do you need to prepare yourselves?" he asked, and Sam and Dean looked at each other.

"How soon can you find him?" Dean asked, and he shrugged.

"Depends where he is. And if Raphael has sent Apronia after me, I'll need to be careful to avoid her. Or worse, Virgil, he might rely on him now he's returned him from the other realm." Amio conceded, looking scared at the thought.

"Do you two have a plan for a change?" Bobby asked, and Dean glowered at him.

"We usually have a plan." He said sniffily.

"It's just the getting it to work bit that goes a bit wrong." Sam said reluctantly, and Tamara grinned.

"Alright, so what do we need to do?" she asked, and as Dean explained the basis of his plan, Amio vanished.

XX

The storm that had developed just outside New York was one of the worst on record. To the normal person it was just an instance of freak weather, however to the angels, it was a sign that Raphael was the angriest he had ever been.

"One of my retainers is dead. Another has thrown himself at the mercy of my enemies. The seals are not being broken fast enough. The Apocalypse is not moving along according to my designs. The final battle is looking further and further distant, and the Winchesters continue to elude me and exasperate me!" Raphael thundered.

"My lord, I offer my services to hunt down the traitor Amio." Virgil said in his grim, gravelly voice.

"Your assistance is appreciated Virgil. Hunt him, and bring him before me. Alive. I will deal with him myself." Raphael sneered and with a rustle, Virgil was gone.

"What are your orders my lord? The traitor Amio is probably even now spilling his guts to the Winchesters!" Mary hissed, and Raphael clenched his fist.

"Then it is time to accelerate our plans. Enough of this nonsense. It is time we break seals ourselves. I am going to go and have a little word with Hester and her garrison, remind them what is due to me as their superior. Virgil can deal with Amio. Apronia, I have a special task for you. I want you to go the lock of the cage. Do whatever you have to do and speak to my brothers." Raphael said, and Apronia looked at him in alarm.

"You wish me to talk to Lucifer and Michael?" she demanded, her voice with an edge of hysteria.

Raphael gave her a contemptuous look.

"If that small minded petty tyrant Azazel could manage to talk to Lucifer while he was imprisoned in his cage, so can you. Tell my brothers that I will soon have them freed in time for the final battle. I am accelerating my schedule. And also, tell them, difficult though it may be, that they cannot harm the boy Adam any further, in fact they must begin to reconstruct what is left of him." He said, and she looked at him curiously.

"Am I to presume that my lordship no longer intends to use the Winchesters as the vessels?" she asked, and he nodded.

"You presume correctly. I no longer intend for that foul mouthed little thug Dean Winchester to host the majesty of my big brother. Or for that sensitive, long hair hippy to host the serpent. No, it is time I wash my hands of the Winchesters once and for all, a time I have so looked forward to all these long years. We are going with plan b. Adam will host Michael." Raphael said, and she bowed and vanished.

"And me my lord? Do you have a task for me, or have I failed you in some way?" Mary asked timidly, and he smiled.

"No my dear Mary. I have a special task for you. I want you to enter hell." He said, and she looked at him in surprise.

"To what end my lord?" she begged softly, and he gave her a small smile.

"The only end worth pursuing. The end of the world. The end of humanity. The end of our exile. And the end of the final battle between good and evil." Raphael growled, and told her exactly what he wanted her to do.

XX

Crowley felt the earth move, and he looked around nervously. When the process didn't repeat, he sat back in his chair to enjoy his whiskey. The ground then trembled again, and a second later the door shattered into splinters, and Crowley yelped in surprise as Lilith stormed into the room, her blond hair billowing, her eyes pure white and narrowed in fury. Crowley tried to escape, but she was far too quick, her hand blasting him over the room into the wall. Crowley gasped in pain as she did so, trying to get to his feet, but an explosion blazed against his chest, sending him stumbling back as she fixed her claw like hand around his neck and slammed him into the wall, splintering apart the stone. She then gave a screech and spun him across the room, blasting him through another wall, where he lay, groaning in pain as she advanced towards him, her eyes pulsing in fury.

"You fool Crowley." She hissed in a deadly whisper, squatting down beside him.

"I take it that means the Winchesters escaped. Good at that aren't they?" he asked, struggling to regain his composure, but she forced him down angrily.

"Yes unfortunately. My demons are dead, as are most of my hellhounds. And those boys have the means to kill me and aren't going to be shy about using it. And it is all your fault." She snarled, and he climbed to his feet once she let go of him as she flounced through to throw herself onto a high backed chair.

"And that is my fault how exactly?" Crowley asked, and she narrowed her eyes.

"Please Crowley. I know you told them to go after Raphael too. After all, I doubt the good archangel is pleased you abandoned him to die once dearest Castiel freed us all from Purgatory. I am evicting you Crowley." She said simply, gesturing for a glass of whiskey which appeared instantly in her hand.

"Evicting me?" he asked hesitantly, and she nodded coldly.

"Yes. You see, I am getting more than fed up of chasing the Winchesters across the country, especially seeing as all I have managed to do is put a healthy dose of fear into their bloodstream. I grow weary of this game. The Winchesters want me dead, and that means they will be coming after me soon enough. Especially seeing as how Raphael wants to kick off the Apocalypse, and what better way to bring that about than killing me as my death is the final seal. As such, in order to screw him over and remove me, they will be coming after me, and I intend to be right here waiting for them." She said coolly, and he looked at her mistrustingly, fearing that she was about to kill him to leave herself hells unchallenged master.

"So, you intend to just wait for them here? What's to stop Raphael dropping by and keeping you on ice until he's ready for you?" he asked, trying to make her panic, but she only smiled.

"Please Crowley. Underneath it all, you and I both know you're a coward. This place is covered in Enochian sigils that prevent him from finding me. That's why I'm here. So Crowley, out. And while I would love nothing more than to take over hell right now, I can't, at least not until I have dealt with Sam and Dean Winchesters. I've been doing some checking Crowley. A fair few of the masses are actually quite loyal to you as a king. Which means that if I am to make my takeover complete, well, I must have something very demon wants...the Winchester's heads on a platter." She said, and Crowley looked at her searchingly.

"Well pussy cat, you've been doing some investigating. But how?" he asked, wondering which demon she trusted enough to reveal herself to, and also to rat him out.

She smiled maliciously at him, and clicked her fingers, and Crowley growled at the demon who appeared by her side.

"Duane am I right?" Crowley asked.

Duane had been an agent of Azazel's, the demon in charge of the Croatoan project in the run up to the Apocalypse. After Azazel's death, he had fallen into Lilith's company, receiving a promotion to crossroads demon, and obviously, still owed her a debt of gratitude.

"Yes. Sorry Crowley, but a lot of your policies don't sit well with me. And many demons, myself included, would rather have a decent queen on the phone other than a petty banker like you." He said dismissively, and Crowley raised his hand, only to be thrown to the floor by Lilith.

"Now now, play nicely. Listen to me Crowley. Hell will soon be completely under my control, and all of your loyal supporters will soon be back on the rack where they belong. The Winchesters will also be mine. And after they are, then I will be free to return to hell and rule as I see fit. But, you Crowley, you have performed a useful service these last years, so I am going to let you go. For now. However, while I let you go, I want you to give me Tammi back. I need someone I can rely on, and she is it." She said, and Crowley nodded, gladly trading her a demon for his only life.

"Of course."

Tammi had been a witch who had become a demon and for a very long time had been Lilith's right hand woman. Figures she would want her back if she was making a power play for the throne.

"And none of your tricks either. So Crowley, run. Give me back Tammi and make a run for it. Because as of now you are no longer the king of hell. I am now its queen, and you are but one of my faithful subjects once again." Lilith said smugly, and he bowed to her, hating her.

"Of course your majesty." He said, clicking his fingers, and a simple deal, his life for Tammi's, appeared before him, which she flicked her finger at, signing it.

"Thank you. Go Crowley. Run to your little caravan. And the next time I see you, or if I find out you're helping the Winchesters in any way...I will destroy you." Lilith growled as Tammi appeared by her side, smiling in triumph as she and Duane flanked their mistress.

"Your majesty is very kind and merciful." Crowley said, before vanishing before the bitch changed her mind. Disbelief filled him as he fled. She had just usurped his throne, taking back what was once hers. And while there would be dissent and trouble, once she killed the Winchesters. Crowley sagged in defeat. He had lost, and was on the run. No corner of hell was safe, there was no telling what a demon would do if they spotted him, whether it be help, hinder or ignore. He had nowhere else to go but his little caravan. Shaking in disbelief and fear, he arrived in his caravan and immediately got himself a drink. The perfect end to an incredibly crappy day.

Back at the house she had just assumed control of, Lilith smiled.

"Finally, he is out of the way. Now, let us return to hell. It's time I took my throne back. And once I have done that, all of hell will be mine to command. And then...the Winchesters will be mine."

XX

"So...you have failed to get any of them in your grasp? They are all still alive? That is what you are telling me?" Roman demanded over the phone, and Valente fingered his collar as he nodded.

"Yes sir, the Winchesters are good, I..."

"SILENCE!" Roman barked into the phone, and Valente wisely shut up.

"I have never known so much incompetence. I want results, not your pathetic failures. I am sending Edgar to join you. And Valente, you better have some good news for him by the time he arrives. Or else, the bib he brings with him is going to be for you." Roman snarled angrily before hanging up.

Valente cowered in fear. The Winchesters, demons and angels kept eluding him, and now Edgar, Roman's right hand man was coming to take over the operation. And he was as unforgiving of failure as Roman was, and a hell of a lot closer to hand.

"I'm dead." Valente whispered, earning him scared looks from Featherstone and Villar as the implications of what was going on hit them all.

XX

Roman was furious. Not only was that incompetent fool Valente bungling the hunt for the Winchesters, the angels were back with a vengeance. It seemed they were appearing everywhere, trying their hardest to break seals. He was not happy with the reports he was getting. Five seals had already been broken, making a grand total of six, and more would be breaking soon. Especially considering the demons that had been preventing the breaking of the seals had now all scurried back to hell like the ants they were. So now, the Leviathans were the only things standing between the world and the biblical Apocalypse.

And that did not suit him at all.

His plans had no place for angels trying to relive their glory days. Or for fickle minded demons that were changing their minds with the tide. His plan was on a tight schedule, one that did not include the possibility of the angels screwing things up.

He crossed to his desk and picked up the phone. Suzan was going to have to take personal command of the seal operation, it was the only way they were going to remain on top. He had bigger fish to fry.

Because if they couldn't stop the seals being broken, he was going to strip the world bare before the angels torched it.

Snarling, he called for Suzan. There was work to be done. And now it had come to the stage that he actually wanted the blasted Winchesters to succeed in what they were doing to mess up the plans for the Apocalypse.

Provided they didn't mess with his, then he would be perfectly happy. And if they did, well, perhaps it would be time to deal with them personally.

XX

The dragon was furious. The angel had denied him his prey twice now, and once more the Winchesters had escaped him. What did he care for the plans of angels? The Winchesters had killed Mother, and he was not going to let them away with that. However, when he had awoke in the middle of a field beneath a terrifying storm, he had found no scent of the Winchesters, not even roasted meat.

So, either the angels or demons had them, or worse, they had escaped somehow and not left him any way in which to track them. And that meant he was going to have to spend a long time working to relocate the foul little runts.

Or at least, so he had thought. The youngest angel then appeared beside him.

"Excuse me, but I need you to come with me." Aimo said, and with a furious roar, the dragon was teleported thousands of miles.

XX

The plan had been simple. Wait at a certain location for Aimo to drop in with the dragon, half of them distracted the dragon, while the other half kept him busy, and that would let Sam creep up behind it and stab it.

Problem was, they were facing a small army of demons, and were slowly losing ground to the numerically superior foe.

"What the hell is Crowley playing at?" Sam demanded angrily, shooting one in the head while Diamond knifed one in the gut.

"You reckon he's double crossed us?" Jody asked, slicing the head off another demon, wincing considering she knew it was a human, but they had to stop them.

When it had become apparent that they were under attack by a small army of demons, they had quickly mustered what guards against possession they could. Fortunately, most of the hunters already had some way to ward off demons, but the others had quickly had to don guards and amulets as black smoke tried to enter them continuously.

"We could really do with the kid's help right now!" Tamara cried as she was tackled to the floor by another demon.

Dean stabbed the killing knife into one's gut, making the demon flicker, before he turned and sliced another one's throat, hissing between his teeth as another demon came close behind Sam.

"Sammy!" he yelled, throwing the knife and catching the demon in the back of the neck.

Sam nodded thankfully to his brother, before pulling the knife out and slicing the throat of the one that was trying to kill Diamond.

"How many of these things are there?" Reynolds demanded, shooting one in the stomach, and leaping out of the way when he saw it had no effect.

Cox then joined the battle, a water pistol in hand.

"Where the hell did he get that?" Missouri asked, wincing as another demon came at her, only to be shot back by Marion.

"Dean had it, said he used it to squirt Sam to annoy him. But I don't see what good it's going to do!" he yelled as a demon forced him to the ground, forcing Missouri to swing her club to get the demon off of him.

The good the pistol would do soon became apparent as the demons screamed as the water burst onto their face.

"It's holy water!" Bobby yelled in realisation, as he crashed into a demon, forcing the black smoke out as he collided with the body.

Dean had enough and plucked the scythe from the back of his jeans, saving Marge from being surrounded by demons by slicing through two of them with a savage rip.

Garth shot another demon host down, wincing in pain. They were all being forced back. They had taken out at least thirty demons, but they seemed to still be coming, and all of them were looking the worse for wear, and it was only a matter of time before one of them was killed.

"What changed all of a sudden?" Dean yelled, killing another one, and Meg went still, her eyes widening in fear.

"It isn't Crowley. That's why. Dean, these guys are only holding us up!" she yelled, and Dean and Sam both looked at her in incomprehension.

"Holding us up for what?" Diamond yelled, knifing another demon in the cut.

"I think...I think Crowley isn't the king anymore. Lilith must have kicked him out. She's taken over." She said in horror watching as Sam stabbed the knife into another demon.

"Wait, he just let her kick him out, just like that?" Dean demanded, slashing another demon with a scythe, and she nodded.

"It makes sense. You may think Crowley is powerful, and in his own way he is, but he is nothing compared to the last two rulers hell has had. If Lilith went after him, he might not even still be alive. Which would suit me where we not about to be slaughtered." She said, kicking another two demons away from her.

Dean looked at Sam, who was staring at him in fear. They were outnumbered at least four to one, and if Meg was right, Crowley wasn't in their corner anymore (which could be a blessing or a curse), and if she was right, and Lilith had indeed taken over hell, these demons were just for starters and soon now they would have the queen of hell herself to deal with.

"What now?" Sam asked, coming to his brother's side.

"I don't know Sammy." Dean said, as hellhounds began to bark in the distance, and they both looked at each other fearfully.

"She's coming." They said in fearful unison before they were overwhelmed once again.

XX

Raphael looked down in contempt as the chunks of flesh that had once been an angel by the name of Oramia. He looked at the assembled host of heaven, the garrison the traitor Castiel had once belonged to, which was much depleted from what it had used to be.

Especially now.

As Raphael had arrived, Oramia, fearing his vengeance, had rallied three dozen angels to fight by her side, to stop the archangel who their fallen and insane leader had lost himself trying to stop. Being a commander, Oramia had quickly gathered support, and confused by their indecision, the rest of the angels, including the blond leader of the garrison, and probably highest ranking angel left, Hester, had fallen back, nervous as to what was happening, watching from the sidelines.

And it had been a massacre.

Raphael now stood, furious and bloody, before them all, fury filling him as he observed the cowards who had not come to the aid of their master, not that he had needed any.

"I gave you orders. I am your archangel, your leader. The traitor Castiel is no longer fit to rule. And it is time for paradise to be brought about. The seals must be broken. Leviathans and demons may stand in your way, I do not care. You will begin breaking the seals. Humanity is weak, we have protected it long enough. Look how far our numbers have fallen. It is time for us to protect ourselves, not those pathetic wretches on the planet. Angels deserve paradise, and I will deliver us to it. Now, carry out your orders. Break the seals, the Apocalypse will come, Michael will succeed and we will receive everything we have been promised." He vowed, and the angels all vanished, and he turned to Hester.

"My lord, I am sorry none of us helped..." she began, and he flicked his hand, blowing her apart.

He allowed her to remain as bloody chunks for a few minutes, composing himself, before he brought her back together, the angel shaking in fear as he did so.

"I apologise my lord! We weren't sure what to do, we wanted to believe it was truly you, but our faith hasn't been strong enough before, we were afraid of being disappointed again, I'm sorry!" she wailed, and he silenced her with a gesture.

"Enough. That Hester, was a reminder of my power, and of my mercy. Carry out your orders as I know you can. Otherwise, next time we encounter each other, I won't bring you back." He growled, and she vanished.

Raphael stood, looking at the bloody spots on the ground, the wings that had been burned into the grass of heaven. Traitors, all of them. But at last, he was home.

Heaven was once again his.

And very soon, paradise would be his.

And humanity would die.

XX

They were being boxed in by the small army of demons, hellhounds snarling as they too entered the fray, when Aimo appeared in the centre of the room, the dragon in tow. Sam and Dean turned to face it as it flew into the air, giving a furious roar and casting a ball of fire at the assembled hunters. Aimo deflected it into the ceiling of the warehouse, then flinched as he saw the army of demons around him.

"What happened?" he asked in shock, seeing the vast odds against them.

"Banish now, ask later!" Meg snapped, and he nodded, clicking his fingers so that she was safely locked inside the coach.

And then, bright, shining white light pulsed out from the young angel, making the others all wince as it spread out from him in a shockwave. The demons all gave cries of pain as the light touched them, and with blood curdling wails, the black smoke erupted from each possessed victim, a massive black stormy cloud coalescing in the air, before the after-effect of the shockwave hit them, and the demons were forced from the warehouse.

Aimo staggered slightly, but Marion and Cox caught his arms.

"Keep it together son!" Marion urged, and then they tackled Aimo to the ground as the dragon, now totally unrestrained, swooped down, fireballs pelting, claws swinging.

Missouri shrieked as she was caught by a strong swing from the low flying dragon, which sent her flying across the room and into a pile of boxes. Diamond, Garth and Marge then opened fire on the dragon, but in these close quarters, although it punched through the membrane at the top of his wings, there was nothing much they could do. The dragon gave a roar of fury, and sent a fireball straight at them. Sam and Dean watched as their three friends were about to be immolated, but they were suddenly cast across the room, Aimo having thrown out his hand to spare them from the attack. The dragon rolled in the air, going straight for Aimo, Marion and Cox, but a flare gun suddenly erupted from the coach.

The dragon roared as the blazing shot punctured its wing, making it howl in pain, the wing immolating as it dropped to the floor.

"Good shot Meg." Dean said, as he and Sam ran forward to deal with it.

However, while it was wounded, the dragon was far from finished. Tamara and Jody rushed at it, guns firing, and scrambling to their feet, Cox and Marion did the same thing from the other side. Bullets punctured the body, sending green blood flying through the air.

"Alright, keep moving! Reynolds, get in there to help!" Billy yelled as Marge, Garth and Diamond ran back towards the battle, and as Meg rushed from the coach to help.

Sam grabbed the hilt as he ran forwards, and Dean readied the scythe. Bullets flew through the air at the dragon, who had quickly had enough. It sent a jet of fire through the air, forcing them all to duck. Bobby flickered in beside it, making himself solid, and jerking the creature's head back, leaving the throat open for Sam to cut.

The dragon thrashed itself, catching Sam in the side and sending him tumbling to the floor. Bobby lost his grip on the dragon and it turned, and Bobby barely flickered out before a fireball punched through him. Aimo was struggling to sit up, clearly exhausted. The dragon slashed across Marge's stomach, sending her to the floor with a wheeze of pain. Bullets continued to fire at it, and Dean was just about to slice it with the scythe when the dragon flapped its remaining wing, giving it a little altitude. It then turned, kicking Dean in the chin and sending him crashing to the floor, the scythe spiralling out of his hand.

"You should not have killed Mother." The dragon growled, advancing on Dean as he stirred.

"Dean!" Sam yelled, crashing his shoulder into the dragon, sending the beast staggering back.

Consumed with the instinct to protect his brother, Sam punched the dragon in the face and continually pressed his attack, forcing the dragon further and further back, back towards the coach. The dragon tried to flap its remaining wing, but Sam was too quick for him, punches and kicks slamming the dragon repeatedly. Reynolds then yelled for Sam to duck, and a bullet blew through the dragon's head.

It gave a furious roar, and a massive fireball fired out from his mouth, setting Reynolds' side ablaze as it did so, and Garth was also sent ducking for cover. It then heaved Sam up by the neck and slammed him into the side of the coach. Sam's eyes rolled as he slumped down, unconscious.

Aimo then appeared beside the dragon, blasting it with telekinesis, sending it back towards the other hunters before he too collapsed. Tamara and Jody fired at the dragon, who sent a fireball at them too, laughing as he did so. Dean was back on his feet beside Bobby, his eyes scanning his unconscious little brother. Garth was standing protectively beside his aunt, gun firing, as was Diamond's. The dragon leapt at them, slashing his talons into Garth's face, and into Diamond's neck, making both drop to the floor, bleeding. Cox was checking Missouri, and a shout barely alerted him in time, as a fireball exploded behind him, showering him in red hot metal. Marion ran at the dragon, firing as often as he could, before the dragon slammed his fist into his gut, sending the policeman to the floor with a grunt.

"Whatever you do, you cannot stop me." The dragon gloated in a growling voice, advancing on the remaining combatants.

"Oh yeah? Try this!" Meg spat.

And she plunged the sword hilt into his heart.

The dragon gave a gurgling roar, his eyes flashing white as he did so, electricity crackling through his body. His hands burned red hot, his claws contracted and he took a step off the edge of the blade, before turning to her. Meg saw fire coalesce in his mouth before the dragon gave a weak sigh and keeled over, green blood spilling from him, dead at her feet.

Dean breathed a sigh of relief as he saw that the dragon was dead. One less enemy for them to deal with at least. Assuring himself it was no longer moving, he ran to his brother's side.

"Sam. Sammy." He said fussily, tapping Sam's cheek gently, exhaling in relief as Sam opened his eyes.

"Hey, you got him." He said, impressed as Dean pulled him to his feet.

"Actually that would be me." Meg corrected, pulling Marion up.

"Anyone dead?" Garth asked weakly, holding his bleeding face.

"Yeah, me if you're not careful, mind where you step boy!" Marge scolded, still holding her stomach, shooing Garth off her hand which he had been standing on.

Diamond was breathing heavily as she sat up, clutching her neck, but while it was messy it didn't seem too deep. Tamara and Jody were both slightly crispy, patting out small puffs of smoke from their clothes. Bobby had went to Missouri to find her struggling to set up, while Cox winced as he picked shards of hot metal from his face. Reynolds shoulder was burnt, but other than that he seemed fine, helping an exhausted Aimo to his feet.

"Did you get him?" the angel asked, and Dean nodded.

"Yeah. You okay doc?" he asked, seeing the angry marks on Cox's face.

"Well, aside from feeling like I've got lava in my skin, yes. Missouri could have a concussion. Alright everyone, into the coach so I can begin to get you patched up." Cox ordered, ignoring the pain in his face as he did so.

"I could heal them all." Aimo volunteered, and Cox looked at him kindly.

"It isn't that I don't appreciate the offer because I do. But you're exhausted, healing us all might kill you. Doctor's orders, you're taking it easy." He said, wagging his finger at the boy, who smiled nervously and nodded.

"Well, that evens the odds on us a bit doesn't it?" Marion asked, staring at the dead dragon with unabashed professional interest.

"You're welcome." Meg said with a smile as the wounded parties began making their way towards the coach.

"I do appreciate a girl with manners." A voice said, and they all spun around to see Lilith, this time clad in a black dress with long black and red gloves, standing in the doorway, smiling in victory.

"Lilith." Dean growled, pulling the scythe from his waist as Sam drew the hilt, and the others all raised their guns.

Aimo looked at her in fear, knowing that unless he healed them, they wouldn't stand a chance against her, and he tensed, preparing to act.

"Ah ah ah ah ah, I wouldn't do that if I were you. Firstly, I'm far too powerful for you, you puny little baby angel. And secondly...I can do this!" she hissed, revealing a bleeding hand and turning to them.

To reveal an angel banishing sigil on her neck. Aimo screamed in pain as he was banished, his light receding as he was blasted away.

"What just happened, where did he go?" Reynolds demanded, gun pointed at her head with the rest.

"She just banished him for a while. Let's go." Dean said, and the hunters split off into two groups, Sam leading one and Dean the other, trying to encircle Lilith.

"Please you little human fools. As if I'm going to let that work." She growled, and raised her hand.

Jody screamed as she was blown over the warehouse, slamming into the coach and dropping to the floor, out cold. Bobby flickered in front of the demon, but Lilith quickly dismissed him, a stream of fire erupting from her eyes. Bobby howled as the fire punched through him, dispersing him with a yelp.

"Get her!" Marion yelled, and they opened fire, but she was far too powerful for that.

She raised a hand, stopping the bullets, and to their wide eyed stares, she turned them around and sent them hurtling back at the others.

As they dived for cover, Sam and Dean slashed at her, but she was too fast for them, punching Sam in the head and sending him catapulting into the wall. She dropped to the floor and arced her leg out, taking Dean's out from under him. As he thudded to the ground, she was once more distracted by bullets from Reynolds. Her eyes shimmered and the ground in front of him exploded, and he flew like a rag doll through the air, slamming to a stop on the top of the coach. Meg arced up at Lilith with the knife, but Lilith grabbed her wrist, shattering it with a single squeeze. Meg cried out in pain, before Lilith crashed her foot into Meg's chin, jerking her head backwards and she keeled over, unmoving. Sam and Dean had seized their weapons and were coming at her again, as Garth and Marge shot up at her from the ground. Smiling dismissively, she sent them bouncing along the floor and they came to a stop at the top of the warehouse. Tamara jumped up at her, but Lilith simply seized her head and smashed it into the ground. Marion and Cox attacked, Cox squirting the last of the holy water at her. She hissed in annoyance as red welts appeared on her skin, before she incinerated the pistol in his hand, burning the hand of the doctor. As he screamed, she raised a hand and a large metal plate fell from the roof, trapping him and Marion beneath it.

She smiled smugly, until a bullet caught her right in the head, making her stagger. Sam lunged with the sword hilt, plunging it into her back, and she gave a screech of pain before she punched him to the ground, twirling out of the way as Dean came at her. She crashed her foot into his back, sending him on top of his little brother. Missouri was looking at her with wide fearful eyes, and Lilith waved a hand and Missouri yelled in pain as her back splintered into two, leaving her paralysed. Diamond gave an angry yell, pumping bullets at Lilith, but with a simple gesture, a bullet exploded on the way out of the gun, shattering it and the explosion sent Diamond reeling, and Lilith blasted her away with a push, and she rolled to a heap at the foot of the caravan.

Leaving only Sam and Dean, as Dean pulled Sam up, the two of them edging away from her.

"I am so past screwing around. Now I'm back boys, and back for good. Hell belongs to me again. Nothing you can do will hide you from me. I'm back, I'm not messing around anymore, and now, at long last, I am going to kill you. Your..." she said, as Sam fired shot after shot into her gut. She huffed in annoyance at the impacts and began to prowl towards them, Dean readying the scythe.

"Time..." she continued, as Dean launched himself at her, scythe going straight for her neck. She ducked, shouldering him in the stomach and flipping him over her back. He grunted as he landed, the scythe cutting into his back slightly as he landed on it, and he struggled to regain his feet.

"Is..." she purred, as Sam came at her, fist smashing into her jaw, and she staggered away from the blow, before glaring at Sam.

"Up!" she hissed, and crashed her hand into Sam's chest, knocking him off his feet.

She laughed as the two left standing, the Winchesters, struggled back to their feet, exchanging terrified glances as they did so. She had them right where she wanted them, and there was no way she was going to let them use the scythe. But still, she still seemed incredibly arrogant about this entire scenario.

Dean feinted to her left, and she spun, her foot arcing up to meet his jaw, only it never did so. He darted to the right, scythe cleaving air, heading towards her chest when she seized his wrist, twisted it and wrenched the scythe from his grasp, sending it clanging across the floor. She slapped Dean to the floor, kicking him as he fell. Sam was then upon her from behind, grabbing her and forcing her into the wall. Cursing, she turned and met his punch with her hand, squashing it viciously, and Sam gasped in pain. She blasted him back, and he rolled to a stop not far from Dean.

"Idiots. It's over." She intoned, advancing towards Sam to kill him at last.

"Dean!" Sam yelled, kicking the scythe towards him, and his brother grabbed the weapon before jumping up, running towards Lilith.

Lilith hissed, and grabbed Sam by the neck, lifting him into the air, Sam gagging for air as she did so. As he grabbed at her hand desperately, he saw Dean approaching, and knew everything was going to be alright. In her haste to kill him, she had gotten herself killed by Dean. Dean raised the scythe to lacerate her back, smiling a little. Time to be rid of this bitch.

And then, Lilith gave Sam a sadistic grin, and Sam's eyes widened in fear as he realised what she had planned.

Smiling triumphantly, Lilith twirled, Sam still struggling in her grasp, which put Sam right into the path of Dean's oncoming attack.

Dean tried to stop it. But he had already swung, and even though he tried to pull the scythe away from the attack, Lilith thrust Sam's squirming form forward.

Lilith cackled in malicious delight.

Sam screamed in horrified, disbelieving pain.

And Dean howled something painfully incoherent.

As Dean, unable to stop his attack, swung the scythe downwards, plunging it into Sam's back just below his shoulder. Sam screamed, as did Dean as the slice continued, momentum making it unstoppable, the scythe cutting all the way through Sam's back, right down to his hip before erupting from his skin once more.

Dean stood in horrified disbelief, letting the deadly scythe fall from his hand as he took a step back, the scythe clanging to the floor. Lilith smiled and winked at him, setting Sam down before vanishing into thin air. And Sam teetered, a deadly slash down his back and blood staining his jacket, gave a weak moan and fell back into his devastated, horrified brother's arms.

**Oh I am rotten! Dean has just stabbed Sam in the back and ripped open his baby brother!**

**Well, who was expecting that? I told you Lilith was going to get her groove on once again! Now we are dealing with the true she bitch of hell. Not only has she usurped the throne from Crowley, taken over hell, and has started sending demons after our heroes, now she has just made Dean possibly murder Sam.  
**

**And Raphael is furious too. His patience is wearing thin, and his powers are growing. What exactly has he ordered Mary to do though?  
**

**At least the dragon is dead at last, one less enemy for us to deal with.  
**

**We also have a new friend in the form of Aimo, it seemed to me like after everything with the angels, and that traitor Cas, we deserved a nice angel, so I thought a kid angel would be just the thing, let me know what you think of him.  
**

**But now, what will happen next? Has Dean killed Sam? What is Raphael up to? What is going on with the vampires and evil hunters? Has anyone else died from the attack?  
**

**Hope you're enjoying this so far, I am writing it, I havent got a clue what happens next chapter by the way.  
**

**But the question needing answered is: has Dean killed Sam? Just on an entirely unrelated note, so far the most popular poll choice for Sam's death has been when he was stabbed in the back in All Hell Breaks Loose, just saying. Oh, and I must confess to cheating with Dean's death, that only had one vote at the time, but none of the other choices fit with what I was doing.  
**

**Anyway, has Dean killed Sam? Has his stalwart protector been the one who has killed him? Or will Sam somehow survive?  
**

**Time will tell!  
**

**Hope youre enjoying and considering the doozy I just did, please read and leave lots of reviews!  
**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural**

Bleeding Storm

"Sam...Sammy..." Dean breathed in denial, his voice shaking weakly as his brother's blood spilled out onto his hands as he lowered Sam gently to the ground, him kneeling down beside him.

"Dean?" Sam asked slowly, his voice pained and quiet, his eyes bright, his face pale.

Dean looked in horror at his little brother, tears filling his eyes while Sam's blood stained his hands, and Dean held him to him tightly, tracing the scar down Sam's back, which was still gushing blood. The scar that he had inflicted.

"Sammy..." Dean said, and Sam looked at him fearfully.

"Dean...I can't move my legs." Sam said softly, his voice full of fear, tears of pain in his eyes and Dean fought down a sob.

He had sliced open his little brother, he had paralysed his little brother, his Sammy.

"Sammy, come on stay with me, it isn't that bad, we'll get you patched up, as soon as we do, Aimo can fix your legs, you'll be as good as new." Dean said stubbornly, holding his brother like a baby in his arms, and Sam shook his head slowly, his face white, looking sadly up at Dean.

"No Dean...I'm sorry." He whispered, his voice getting weaker, and Dean's heart was hammering in his chest, fear and denial and anger coursing through him.

"Sorry? What you sorry for?" Dean asked in disbelief, tears flooding his eyes as he realised that his brother was dying.

"This. It's my fault." Sam said sadly, his voice slurring, and Dean shook his head urgently, trying to deny the inevitable, what he knew was coming.

"No Sammy, it isn't, it isn't your fault. Listen to me, you have to stay awake for me, just so we can fix you. Come on Sammy." He pleaded, Sam's face going pure white.

"I'm sorry Dean. Dean...don't let go, don't go." Sam begged tearfully and Dean's breath was shuddering as he brought Sam even closer to his body, supporting his neck in the crook of his arm as Sam looked at him tearfully.

"Course not. Come on Sammy, you aren't going to let a little cut get you down are you?" Dean begged, watching as blood spilled onto the floor, soaking his knees and he knew what was coming as Sam's breaths were getting further and further apart, his eyes fluttering.

"Dean...this...wasn't...your...fault." Sam struggled to say, and Dean, shaking his head, wrapped his bloodied hand in Sam's, squeezing it hard so as to try and forestall the inevitable.

"Sammy..." Dean whispered mournfully, tears splashing from his eyes onto his brother's chest, but it was too late, as Sam's eyes were closing.

"Sammy...Sammy!" Dean cried urgently as Sam shivered, and Dean pulled him close to him, wrapping him in a hug, just like he had at Cold Oak, keeping Sam tucked up against his body, Dean's right hand still trying to hold the blood into his little brother's body.

"I'm sorry..." Sam breathed sadly in Dean's ear, and Dean shook his head, his breath shaking with sobs as he held his little brother to him, eyes pouring with rivers of tears.

"Don't be sorry. Come on Sammy, stay with me." Dean urged softly, pulling Sam slightly away from him and taking his brother's face into his hand, holding it firm despite the fact that Sam had very little energy with which to support himself.

"Sammy, come on, don't do this to me, it's my job to look after you remember? Wake up kiddo, come on. Sam. Sammy. It's my job to look after my pain in the ass baby brother, to take care of you. That's what I'm going to do, I'm going to fix you up, make you good as new again. It isn't that bad Sammy, please, please, come on baby brother, keep breathing." Dean begged, his voice high pitched and shuddering, tears in his eyes as Sam barely opened his eyes to look at his brother, his sweet puppy dog expression looking intently at Dean.

"Dean..." Sam whispered, head dropping, and Dean shook his head.

"No, come on, someone help, someone wake up and help damn it..." Dean snarled angrily, and Sam looked at him sadly.

"Now I've made you mad." He muttered in a sad, sleepy sounding voice, and Dean shook his head, pressing his forehead against Sam's, desperate to reassure his little brother.

"No Sam, not you, never you. Come on, stay awake for me, keep breathing, I need you." Dean whispered desperately, stroking the tears off his brother's cheek.

"Dean...this...wasn't...you." Sam said softly, his words slow and an effort to actually say, puppy dog eyes looking imploringly at Dean.

"Sam, come on, stay awake just a bit longer." Dean pleaded, holding his brother to him, feeling the faint beat of his heart as he rocked his brother soothingly, hating how long the time in between beats was, Sam's cooling hand still wrapped in his own.

"Sammy?" Dean asked in a scared voice as his brother's eyes fluttered, and he noticed that there hadn't been a beat in a while, and Dean looked at Sam in terror, holding his head in his hands.

And Sam gave a final breath, his eyes slowly closed and as Dean moved to check his back, his head flopped back and went so very still.

"Sam...SAMMY!" Dean screamed as his dead brother went limp in his arms, flopping back into Dean's supportive grip, his head hanging limply, his hair falling back loosely, and Dean shook his head in denial as his brother died once more in his arms.

Sam was dead. His little brother had been killed, murdered. And he was the one who had done it. He had murdered his little brother. This time an angel wasn't messing with his head, this wasn't his frequent recurring nightmare, this time it was actually true, he had murdered his Sammy. Breathing in shock he began to hyperventilate, screaming in anger, denial and fear as he did so. He wheezed jerkily, lifting his brother into his protective grip, holding his brother to his warm body, hugging him close as Sam's limp head fell to his shoulder, the still wet tear tracks soaking into his shoulder as Sam's head lay facing his neck. Dean screamed in loss, burying his face in Sam's long hair, rocking his dead brother, with only one thought going through his head as he did so:

Sam was dead, gone, and he was the one who had done it.

XX

Raphael was irritated. While the angels of the garrison that was under Hester's command were now out and actively trying to break the seals, they were encountering resistance. Heavy resistance in some cases. While Raphael had known that some demons had been blocking their efforts, they now seemed to have disappeared, with only a few staying behind and continuing to frustrate the angels efforts as they tried to break the seals. However, there were two other groups that were blocking the efforts of the garrison. The first was the Leviathans, and that was irritating him no end. Roman was interfering in things he didn't understand, and it was beginning to get to him. Roman was clearly only concerned about bringing about his own version of the Apocalypse, and was hence trying to distract him while he went about his own plans.

The other group however, were a complete mystery. At first, he had thought it might be hunters, but then, bloody splotches had started appearing as well at places where the angels had been trying to break a seal, which struck Raphael as most curious. Someone was trying to prevent him from breaking seals, in addition to the demons and the Leviathans, and he had no clue as to who it was.

He then sensed something and smiled in malicious delight. Sam Winchester was dead. At long last, the Winchesters were out of the way, as Sam's death would also destroy Dean. He was in the clear. The Leviathans could try and stop him, but now, with the Winchesters gone and their only way of stopping him gone also, he was free. The Apocalypse would restart, and Dean Winchester would get a court side view as his world was immolated by his remaining brother. Such poetic justice. He began to laugh, ecstatic that such a persistent thorn in his side was gone for good. Poor Lilith would be upset, but she would just have to get over it.

And then, as he thought of Lilith, and of the rumours that she had once more become queen of hell, an unpleasant thought struck him. Mary hadn't returned yet from hell. He had sent her to scavenge the body of Nick, the temporary vessel Lucifer had been using after he had first emerged from his cage. After he had abandoned it in favour of Sam, the body, degraded and on the edge of oblivion, had been taken to hell to act as some sort of trophy, were demons could see the man who had willingly taken in their master, and he was treated as some sort of folk hero, and by all accounts was meant to be having a relatively enjoyable time in hell. Which Mary was meant to be taking him away from. However, she had not yet returned, which forced Raphael to conclude he hadn't been liberated from hell yet.

Raphael cursed. If Nick wasn't freed from hell, that meant Lucifer didn't have a body he was able to inhabit once he was freed from the cage. Which would throw off the entire plan for the Apocalypse. And while Raphael would be willing to put Lucifer at a disadvantage, that wasn't how the final battle was meant to play out.

Michael had access to his secondary vessel, Adam. But without Nick, the final battle couldn't take place. And if Mary didn't get him out, or indeed never returned, then there was but one option for Lucifer to assume his role.

He needed Sam Winchester.

Raphael swore to himself. He had no choice, now that the garrison was on board, he couldn't afford any delays, and that included waiting around for Nick to appear. He needed a vessel, any vessel, available for Lucifer's immediate use. And as Mary was not forthcoming with the secondary vessel, he had to revive the first vessel.

Raphael gestured, and with that, the process of resurrection had begun within Sam. Raphael felt it as the boy took air once again, hating his misfortune. So close to being rid of the Winchesters, so close, and he had to revive one of them again.

There was then a rustle behind him, and he turned to see Mary, bloodied, bruised and smoking, with the unconscious form of Nick in tow.

"My lord, I have freed the secondary vessel from hell." She reported tiredly, and Raphael rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Typical." He grumbled.

XX

Apronia entered the desolate ruins of St Mary's convent. Since it had been shattered by the release of Lucifer the last time, the convent had stayed in ruinous decay, avoided by one and all, fearing the still unexplained blast of light that had emitted from the convent the day Lucifer had gone free.

And now she was here to talk to the most powerful beings in existence. It had been a tiring process to bring this about, she had had to find eight devoutly religious people within the immediate area, and come to them in visions and dreams, tell them she had something for them to do, and eventually, all had come. And the eight of them now stood together, huddled in the altar room, still marked with the demon blood of Lilith even all these years later, a black swirl on the centre of the floor.

She appeared inside the altar room, and they all looked to her in surprise.

"Bless us, an angel." A man said, getting to his knees before her, and she smiled.

"You are the most devout of your kind. The most loyal to god's word. You came without question when I called. And now you can further his great work." She said kindly, smiling down at a young girl.

"Tell us how we can!" an old man said, and she smiled.

"By dying." She said, flicking her hand, and with a scream all eight of the people she had summoned burst into pieces, creating a stream of blood into the slightly dipped centre of the room.

"Sorry, our needs are bigger than yours." She said coldly as the blood swirled.

There was then a feeling of another presence, which split into two, one dark and fiery, the other light and icy, both powerful beyond her imagination. She sunk to her knees in reverence as the presence grew.

"Great ones, I am Apronia, an angel in the service of Raphael." She said first, and both presences seemed pleased to hear this news.

"I bring news from your brother. His plan is nearing its completion. Soon now, you will be freed, and able to pursue the final battle as you were meant to before Sam Winchester interfered." She said, and the ruins trembled at the mention of Sam's name, and fury and hatred unlike which she had ever known pulsed through the room, nearly causing her to lose herself within it.

"However, time is running out. The final seal is loose, and the Winchesters plan to kill her before we wish her to. But, while we work to prevent that, there is another consideration. Raphael has decided that we should no longer use the Winchesters to bring the battle about. As such, he recommends that you go with the vessel Adam and the vessel Nick, who we are retrieving from hell as we speak." She said, and the entire convent shook, illustrating their displeasure.

"Lord Raphael intends to destroy the Winchesters at the earliest opportunity. And once he has done so and you are free, you can resurrect them as often as you want to keep repeating the process!" she said brightly, and she felt cold approval from the two of them.

"However, as you must rely on your secondary vessels, Raphael says you must work to make sure Adam is fit for possession, and he says that you must not torture him, and must instead rebuild what is left of him if the plan is to work, because even if they aren't dead by then, we now know the Winchesters will never acquiesce. Does his plan have your approval my lords?" she asked, and she felt a feeling of agreement, of mounting excitement.

"Excellent. I look forward to seeing you both in action." She said, vanishing and leaving the two archangels happily in their cage, pondering how the hell they were going to fix Adam.

XX

Dean still had his brother held tightly against him, crying into his hair, stroking it gently.

"No, no, no, no..." he muttered, and then he felt a small draught on his neck.

"Dean?" Sam asked softly, making Dean jump in surprise, and he pulled away from Sam, looking at Sam desperately, begging that this wasn't a dream, his hands touching Sam's face to assure himself that he was there.

Sam looked down at himself curiously, then at his back in interest, then turned and grinned at Dean.

"Hi. Don't I get a hug?" he asked hopefully, and Dean pulled him close again, heart leaping for joy as he felt his little brother hug him back. He was alive, he was back, he was his again.

"Sammy..." Dean said tearfully, pulling away from his brother abruptly, leaving a slightly reproachful look on Sam's face at the abrupt end of the contact.

"Raphael?" Sam asked worriedly, as Dean checked his back, and it was indeed fully healed, all the blood gone too, and Dean shrugged.

"Don't know. Must have been, but I thought he wasn't going to resurrect us anymore?" he asked, standing up quickly, confident his brother was alright.

"Maybe he hasn't found another vessel for Lucifer yet. Dean..." Sam began, but Dean shook his head.

"Not now Sammy, now we have to help the others." He said, and went over to Tamara's side.

Sam pursed his lips. They needed to talk about this, there was no two ways about it. He knew Dean would blame himself, hate himself, even though it wasn't his fault and there was nothing he could have done. But he also knew that Dean would avoid talking about it as much as he possibly could, and that was only going to make things worse as far as they were concerned.

"Dean..." Sam said, and Dean glared at him angrily.

"I said not now." He intoned, and Sam frowned at the sudden change in his brother. This conversation that they had to have was not going to be pleasant. However, he had just come back from the dead, and he was eager to get the hell out of here before anything else went wrong. As such, forcing down the want to talk to and comfort his brother, Sam began checking up on Meg and Missouri, frowning as he saw that Missouri, like he had been only minutes ago, was paralysed.

"Sam...good to see you still alive." Missouri said fondly, wincing in pain, and he squeezed her hand.

"It'll be alright Missouri, we just need to find Aimo and then he can fix you." He assured her, and she nodded, waving him off to deal with the others.

He knelt down beside Meg, slapping her face to wake her up. She awoke with a groan, glaring at Sam as she did so.

"You could have woken me up nicely. Where's Lilith?" she asked, and he looked at Dean worriedly.

"I'll tell you later." He said, scratching his back self consciously.

Dean finally roused Tamara, but as he answered her questions robotically, he kept thinking back to what had happened. He had killed his little brother, he had killed Sam. They had had some close calls with that over the years, especially recently, but Dean had always stopped short of actually doing it. This time though, he had stabbed Sam in the back and ripped a massive scythe down through his spinal cord. He had murdered his little brother.

He growled in anger. Lilith had done it, she had made him kill Sam. She had made the one who's job it was to protect Sam, to look after him, to look out for him, she had been the one to make Dean kill Sam. She had known exactly what she had been doing when they had been attacking her, and she had manipulated it so that Dean would do exactly what he did, kill the one person he loved above all others, kill the one thing he cared the most about in the entire world. Dean had killed Sam. He hadn't wanted to, he couldn't have controlled it, but because of the bitch of hell, he had done it. He had held his little brother as he once more took his last breaths, because of him, and because of Lilith.

There would be no forgiveness. There would be no surrender. No mercy. He was going to kill Lilith. He was going to take the scythe and he was going to slice her up into tiny little pieces, bit by bit, and feed them to her own hellhounds. And that was only after he tortured her as much as he possibly could.

Because of her, Sam had died. Sam had died at his hand. He could never erase that. The one thing he had always been trained to protect, the one who it was his job to defend, had been killed at his own hand. Failure, self hatred and disgust filled Dean. He had killed Sam, he had killed his little brother. He hadn't stopped, he should have been better, slower, quicker, anything that would have prevented that from happening. He had killed Sammy.

His little brother, the reason he kept going, the bright spot in his life, and he had killed him as mercilessly and as cruelly as Jake had back in Cold Oak, and once again Dean had been the one holding Sam's dead body, denying what had happened.

That couldn't happen again. Ever.

He couldn't allow Sam to die again, he wouldn't. Lilith would never again threaten Sam. He would hunt her down, he wouldn't rest until he had killed her. And when she was dead, he would go after Gordon, then Joshua, and then Emily. He didn't care what it took. He didn't care if he lost his life in the process. All he knew was that he would never again allow himself to be Sam's killer.

Dean wanted to vomit as he thought of Sam's dead body in his hands. Hatred, anger, he would use whatever it took to remove the threats against his little brother. He would hunt them all down, slaughter each and every one of them before they could hurt Sam. Sam had to be protected. It had been ingrained in him since the beginning. Protect Sam. Not kill him. He had failed in his duty, his job, his life's purpose. He had let Sam die.

True, Sam had died before, but never like this. Never before had Dean been the killer, been the one to kill his little brother, the one who stole away his life force, the one who cut short his existence, the one who had actually turned Sam from his living, vibrant brother into a cold, decaying corpse.

Dean nodded to himself. First, Lilith had to die. He would hunt her to the ends of the earth for what she had made him do to Sam. He would never rest until she was dead, her headless corpse lying at his feet. Sam would be safe from her, the most dangerous enemy he had. And then, he would kill every other dangerous enemy he had, Gordon, Joshua, Emily, everyone who threatened Sam would die. He could never be allowed to kill Sam again. The ones who could make him do it, the ones who could make him kill Sam, through whatever method, all had to die in the most painful, most brutal way imaginable.

He could never be allowed to kill Sam. He couldn't kill Sam, not again. He wouldn't. And he would take whatever steps he had to in order to ensure that he wasn't in a position to kill Sam ever again.

He would kill everyone who threatened him. He would remove all threats to his little brother.

And then, he would remove himself.

XX

Aimo eventually reappeared, and it was a good thing he arrived when he did, as Sam had been getting worried about him and the others. Aimo, still exhausted from the fight with the dragon, healed only those who would have been permanently injured as a result of Lilith's blood thirsty attack. With those healed, he sat down weakly in the seat on the coach and sat there, his eyes drooping tiredly. With everyone clustered together talking and recovering over tea, coffee and whisky, Sam grabbed Dean and dragged him into the empty caravan.

"Dean, we need to talk." He said, but Dean shook his head.

"No we don't. You're back, that's all that matters." Dean said irritably, and Sam looked at him suspiciously.

"Dean, what is it?" he asked softly, and Dean looked at him incredulously.

"Are you stupid or something? Do you not remember me ripping open your back with the scythe? I killed you Sam!" he yelled angrily, and Sam narrowed his eyes, crossing his arms.

"Yeah you did." He snapped back, angry at his brother's attitude, and Sam snapping back slightly opened Dean up as he hesitated slightly, and Sam could see dozens of unnamed and unrecognised emotions swirling in his brother's eyes.

"You did. But it wasn't your fault Dean. I know you didn't mean to kill me, I know you would never do that. It was an accident. It wasn't your fault." Sam intoned, and Dean looked at him in confusion.

"Wait, you don't hate me?" he asked, and Sam smiled a little.

"No I don't. Dean I know you didn't do it on purpose. It was an accident." He said, but Dean ignored him.

"An accident is when I graze you with a bullet, or when I knock you down when I get thrown into you. Or when I throw something at you and it hits you on the head. They're accidents. What I did was murder." Dean snapped, not looking at Sam, making Sam roll his eyes in exasperation.

"No it wasn't. It was manslaughter if anything, but more than anything else Dean it was an accident! I don't blame you." Sam said softly, crossing to his brother and touching his arm.

Dean then violently threw it off, making Sam retreat slightly.

"What's wrong?" Sam asked quietly, and Dean turned and glowered at Sam.

"What's wrong is I'm in here talking to you when I should be out hunting down Lilith. She's the threat. You don't seem to grasp that she wants you dead and she's willing to do anything to make sure that it happens! She forced me to kill you!" Dean roared angrily.

Sam narrowed his eyes.

"So what, you'll go off and be a one man army against her? Dean, she'll flatten you. She nearly killed us all." He said in exasperation, and Dean sneered.

"Yeah Lilith nearly killed us all, but the only one who actually died was you, and it was my fault!" Dean yelled, and Sam shook his head, though his control over his temper was slipping.

"Dean it wasn't your fault. It was Lilith pure and simple. You couldn't help it Dean, don't blame yourself." He said softly, trying to make his brother see reason.

"Yeah, Lilith. But you were the one who was stupid enough to get killed. Maybe you should sit this one out." Dean said darkly, and Sam flinched.

"It's not as if I got killed on purpose Dean! I'm just as scared as you are." He implored, trying to make Dean calm down and listen to sense.

"I'm not scared, I'm pissed. And if you're not on board with stopping Lilith, I suggest you get out while you can, because I'm going to take her down." Dean said in a tone of voice that Sam had never heard before. And it scared him.

"Dean, please, don't do anything stupid. We will get Lilith, I promise, but going off on a vendetta is only going to get you killed."

Dean glared at him.

"Was good enough for you with your demon whore." He snarled contemptuously, and Sam glowered at him, resenting him for using that against him yet again.

"Yeah, and look where that mistake got us. Dean, I don't want you to get hurt. You didn't kill me." He said, trying to restrain his temper.

Dean looked at his brother, and saw the hurt look in his puppy dog eyes, and a part of him melted. But, he quickly slammed down on it. He couldn't afford emotion. Emotion was what got Sam killed. From now on, he only had one task. Kill Lilith.

"Yeah I did. And it's because of Lilith that I did. So, I'm going to hunt her down, and destroy her like the monster she is." Dean said and roughly shouldered past his hurt, confused and bewildered brother on the way back to the coach.

XX

The coach was full of talk when Dean stormed in, looking furious. Sam appeared a minute later, sending a hurt glance at his brother before pointedly sitting as far away from him as he could manage.

"Trouble in paradise?" Marion murmured to Jody, and she nodded cautiously, her eyes fixed on the angry Dean as he assembled ingredients in a bowl, just as Bobby flickered back into existence.

"Demonic bitch, that hurt. Sam, what is it?" he asked, seeing the downcast expression on the kid's face.

"Nothing." He said softly, not meeting the ghost's eyes, but Bobby could tell from the fact that he was staring at the tabletop that it had something to do with Dean, it was what he always did when his brother had upset him somehow.

"Dean, what are you doing?" Cox asked, patching up a cut on Marge's forehead.

"Summoning Crowley and demanding to know what the hell happened back there." He said abruptly, beginning the ritual.

"Hey, you can't just summon Crowley, not with me in the room!" Meg yelled in alarm, and Dean gave her a cold look.

"Then go to the caravan then." He said, and she shot him a look of deepest loathing before flouncing off.

"Dean what is it?" Missouri asked worriedly, extending a hand to him.

"Nothing!" he barked, making her retreat.

"Dean, calm down, we're worried about you." Bobby said worriedly as the ingredients in the bowl burned.

"You realise this could summon Lilith instead?" Garth demanded in a high pitched voice, and Dean gave a death's head smile which made the other hunter shiver.

"Suits me." He said, readying the scythe.

"Dean, what?" Bobby asked, as Crowley appeared, a fireball in his hand, and he rolled his eyes as he saw who had summoned him.

"Oh, it's you lot. What do you want?" Crowley asked sullenly, as Dean regretfully sheathed the scythe.

"Well for starters a little heads up about there being a new sheriff in town might not have gone amiss." Diamond snarled, and he shrugged.

"Look girly, I have Lilith on my ass. She's kicked me out of hell, usurped my throne, had captured most of my loyal support and she's relying on the angels to pick off the rest. I can't even blow my nose without her being suspicious. So you'll understand if I don't stick around for a pleasant chitchat, because I have to get out of here before she uses my ass as a throwrug." He said irritably.

"Where is she?" Sam asked, and Crowley gave him a small grin.

"Hello Moose. Glad to see you're still alive. Or should I say alive again? The supernatural world is just abuzz with what happened in the fight with Lilith." He said, and despite Sam glowering at him, Crowley seemed intent on revealing something he had been planning to keep secret.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Dean, the brother slayer!" Crowley gloated, but a second later regretted it as the scythe was at his throat, drawing blood.

"Shut your mouth Crowley and tell me where she is." Dean snarled, and Sam got to his feet and pulled Dean off the king in exile.

"What the hell is the matter with you?" Sam demanded angrily, and Dean gave him a dismissive look.

"Well everyone knows now I suppose. I killed you Sam. That isn't just going to go away, not until Lilith is dead." He grunted, and Crowley, glaring at Dean, dabbed at the blood leaking from his neck.

"Wait, you killed Sam?" Bobby asked in shock, and the entire coach had gone still to look at the two brothers in shock, their eyes full of questions.

"Yes." Dean grunted in response, but Sam shook his head.

"It was Lilith's fault, it was an accident." He explained, and Aimo looked up at Dean curiously.

"Is that why you're acting so different, because of what happened?" he asked, his voice confused, and Dean turned to the kid, fury all over his face.

"I'm not acting different, I'm acting normal! Lilith has to die, she's too dangerous to leave alive and I'm going to kill her! And if you have a problem with that, that's your problem. Just go, I don't need some crappy excuse for an angel holding me back."

"Dean!" Sam, Missouri and Jody all yelled in anger at him, as Aimo looked at him, looking hurt and disappointed.

"I'm sorry if I upset you Dean. I'll leave." He said mournfully, and a second later, he had vanished.

"Dean, he's just a kid!" Sam yelled at him furiously, and Dean shrugged, uncaring.

"And this is war. He can live with it or get the hell out." He said, and turned back to Crowley.

"Well you really are a charming character at times aren't you?" Crowley asked snottily, not at all liking this version of Dean. True he didn't like the other ones much either but at least his mildly depressed side, his happy side or his overprotective side didn't upset neophyte angels. For god sake, he was a demon and he didn't think the poor kid had deserved that.

"Dean, look, we're all in this together, Lilith has to die we agree, but this isn't the way to go about it. What happened with Sam was an accident. It wasn't your fault." Bobby assured him, but Dean ignored him too, glaring at Crowley, hands tight around the scythe.

"Where is she?" Dean demanded, and Crowley looked at him irritably, not at all liking the swinging scythe.

"If she isn't in hell then she's in my house, the one where you first met me. Happy? Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go back to hiding from her until you boys get your finger out and kill her." He said, preparing to leave.

"She's too powerful. We need help to kill her. Can you help?" Garth asked, hoping that by showing they were on board that Dean would calm down, but Crowley snorted.

"And have her decorate the living room with my hide? No thank you. If you want an extra edge against her, jolly green here is the only one who can do it. Come on Sam, you know it will help. A little bit of demon blood, you can surprise her then your belligerent murderer here can finish her off." Crowley said, and Sam glowered at him.

"I said no Crowley. I'm not going to take demon blood again. Ever." He snarled, and Crowley shrugged.

"It's your funeral. I want her dead asap, or I might just have to sell you out to her again, and this time, she won't let you escape." He reminded them, before vanishing.

The coach was silent, all of them looking at the two Winchesters, with Dean glowering at the spot where Crowley had vanished, and Sam glaring at his brother.

"Maybe you should." Dean said slowly, and they all looked at him in confusion.

"Maybe I should what?" Sam bit out, furious with his brother.

"Take demon blood." Dean answered as though it were obvious, and the entire coach went still, and Bobby looked at Dean in amazement, not believing what he was hearing.

Sam clenched his fist, glaring at his brother.

"Excuse me?" he demanded, and Dean turned to him, eyes narrowed.

"Sam, Lilith has to die. She's dangerous, evil and she wants you dead. You having powers means you can protect yourself again, save me having to do it all the time." Dean snapped, and the others couldn't believe what they were hearing.

"Wait, you want me to take demon blood just so you can kill Lilith?" Sam demanded furiously, and Dean nodded.

"Yes. It's the only way we can hold her off long enough to kill her." Dean said, and he could see the fury in Sam's eyes.

"I can't believe it. You hypocritical bastard, you actually want me to take demon blood?" he demanded furiously, as the door opened to reveal Meg, peering in hesitantly, but when she saw a full fledged argument she wisely shut the door again.

"Yes. It's the only way we can stop Lilith. She's too dangerous a threat Sam, I want her head off her body before she can hurt anyone again." He said, looking significantly at his brother, and Sam shook his head furiously.

"I can't believe you want me to take demon blood! You're the one who kept telling me to stop taking it, the one who encouraged me when Meg was trying to get me to use it!" he bellowed.

"Well I was wrong! Killing Lilith needs everything we've got and more, and if you aren't going to pull your weight Sam, you might as well stay behind! I'm not going to let her kill you again!"

Sam rolled his eyes in angry exasperation.

"This isn't about stopping Lilith from killing me, this is about you not killing me again! Dean, it wasn't your fault! It was an accident! Yes she was behind it, and yes we will kill her, but we'll do it together, the way we should have done it the first time!"

Dean shook his head, his face furious.

"Taking the blood can stop her all the quicker Sam, it can save lives!"

"Not at the expense of me becoming addicted again. And I know you Dean, it would be just like before, you would use it for a while, and then you would turn on me, call me a monster all over again because of what I can do. You're a filthy hypocrite, you would let me use it and then you would turn on me, and I am not going down that path again!" Sam yelled, and Dean looked at him furiously.

"Alright then, we'll do this my way, but without the blood. Because she is going to die, and I am going to kill her. And you can handle that, or you can get the hell out." Dean snarled, and Sam glowered hatefully at him, but then his face softened, and he took Dean's hand. Dean struggled, trying to rip his hand from Sam's grip, but Sam held on tightly, and he pressed Dean's hand to his cheek.

"Dean? Calm down and look at me. Listen to me. I'm here, right here in front of you. I'm back. I'm alive. I'm not dead. I'm right here. You don't want me to use demon blood, I know you don't. You hated me like that, and we've just started being brothers again, I don't want to lose that. I know you feel guilty, and hate yourself, but Dean, it wasn't your fault. I don't blame you, I don't hate you. So just calm down please?" Sam begged, looking at him with puppy dog eyes as he held his hand to his face, and Sam saw his brother's face waver, the angry mask of hatred he had dawned cracking.

But then it clamped back up.

"Alright fine. Don't take demon blood if it's so important to you. But we're still going to kill Lilith, and there's nothing you can do to stop that. Got it? She is going to die. And if you guys don't want to do it, fine. I'll do it myself." He said, storming out, right past Meg.

Sam groaned in irritation and chased after him.

"Dean, what are you doing?"

"What I always do, protecting you!" he snapped back, and Sam glowered at him.

"Well if it's such a burden to you, maybe you should stop doing it." He bit out as he followed Dean into the caravan.

"Believe me, I would like to, but seeing as you're so useless, I can't." Dean snarled, and Sam felt that like a kick in the gut. His brother thought he was useless. It wasn't as if he intended to die, he hadn't done it on purpose.

"I'm not useless." He said, sounding childish, but he was past caring.

Dean looked at him, seeing the sad look in his eyes, hating himself for what he was doing to Sam. He was pushing everyone away, Sam most of all. But Sam had to learn not to rely on him anymore, he had to learn to be independent, and while he had become more independent, he did still rely on Dean an awful lot. And that would only get Sam killed if something happened to Dean. And he couldn't bear the thought of it being his fault that Sam died again.

Lilith had to die. At the expense of everything else.

Even if it meant turning Sam against him.

So, suppressing the urge to apologise, to explain, Dean continued on his chosen path. He had to stop Lilith, it was the only way Sam would be safe. It was the only way he could ensure he would never be able to kill Sam again, to hunt down everything that threatened Sam.

"Well you're not entirely useful either." He said, hating himself.

Sam glared at him.

"Dean, I don't know what you're doing, but all you're doing is pissing people off and pushing them away. But...I'm here, I'll listen. And I know this is because you killed me, but it was an accident, it wasn't your fault. Just...don't do anything stupid, please." Sam begged and he turned to leave the caravan.

"Where are you going?" Dean asked, his voice not quite as hostile as before.

"To go and find the poor angel kid you chased away. At least he doesn't think I'm useless." Sam said, his voice hurt, and he slammed the door on the way out.

XX

It didn't take long for Sam to track down Aimo. All the time he was heading to where he had a feeling the boy might be (in truth he was simply walking to get away from Dean), he couldn't help but wonder what was wrong with his brother.

He knew it was his fault. He had died, and scared the living crap out of his brother, because his brother had been the one who had struck the mortal blow. Sam hated himself. He was the reason Dean was being like this, so angry, so obsessed with revenge. What was he meant to do? He could keep apologising, but nothing was ever going to make Dean forget that it had been he who had killed Sam, and Sam who had bled to death in his brother's arms once again. Sam kicked miserably at a stone as he crossed the road. It was all his fault.

And Dean actually wanted him to use demon blood? After everything they had been through, after everything he had said, his encouraging and supporting him against Meg's peer pressure, he now wanted him to do the exact opposite and take demon blood, just so he could be used as a weapon against Lilith. He wanted her dead so badly, he was willing to do anything to bring it about, including sending his brother back down that slippery slope. Sam cast his eyes down miserably. He didn't know what to do, how he could make Dean better, how he could make everything better. He had died, Dean had done it, but he didn't blame Dean, but Dean of course blamed himself, hated himself for it, and nothing Sam could do was going to fix that.

But he might be able to fix the kid sitting on the park bench, looking at the duck pond, a miserable expression on his face.

Sam sat down beside Aimo, who looked at him in surprise.

"Sam, what are you doing here?" he asked, and Sam was surprised to see tears in his eyes. Boy, this kid was almost human, they hadn't even made him unemotional yet.

"Looking for you, we were worried. I was worried." He said, and Aimo scuffed his trainers.

"I don't understand, did I do something wrong? Why is Dean so mad with me?" he asked sadly, and Sam shook his head.

"You didn't do anything wrong Aimo. It's me Dean's mad at, because I died. I died and he was the one who did it, it's ripping him apart. He wants revenge against Lilith and is willing to do anything to get it. He's lashing out at everyone, not just you. It'd himself and me he's mad at. You didn't do anything wrong ok?" he asked tenderly, and Aimo nodded to himself, wiping his eyes.

"You must think I'm a, what is the word, a wuss?" he asked, and Sam shook his head, smiling a little.

"No, I think you're a kid, who's just had someone who he looks up to attack him for no reason. Believe me, I used to do the same thing when Dean yelled at me." He said with a sad grin, and seeing how he still looked sad, he bent close to Aimo's ear.

"And just between you and me, I sometimes still feel like crying when he yells at me." He said, and Aimo laughed a little.

"Thank you, I don't feel so bad now. So Dean doesn't want me to leave?" he asked hopefully, and Sam shook his head.

"No he doesn't. And, considering you've got one of our most powerful bad guys after you, you shouldn't be out on your own." He said, and Aimo looked downcast.

"And now I've annoyed you too." He said miserably, and Sam shook his head.

"No buddy, I'm just saying you ought to be more careful. If Dean's mean to you, go and sit in the caravan, or just ignore him, don't run off." He said softly, and Aimo nodded.

"Ok. Sorry." He said, and a rustle then sounded behind them.

"You should be." Virgil growled, before Sam pulled Aimo to the ground away from Virgil's swinging blade.

Aimo gasped as he saw that Raphael had sent his assassin after him. Virgil raised a hand and blasted Sam into the duckpond, sending the ducks quacking into the air. Aimo looked at the sodden Winchester and vanished, before appearing behind Virgil and kicking him in the back. The angel spun, sword going for his neck, but Aimo was already gone. Sam spat water out of his mouth and punched Virgil, sending him crashing into the bench they had been sitting on. Aimo then appeared beside him, grabbed his hand, and vanished, leaving Virgil screaming in anger.

XX

Aimo appeared in the middle of the coach, with a dripping wet Sam. Meg smiled slightly as she saw them.

"Aimo, you convinced Sam to go for a wet tshirt competition." She said evilly, and Sam glowered at her as Aimo looked at her in confusion.

"What is that?" he asked, clicking his fingers and Sam was immediately dry again.

"Never mind what it is, I'll tell you later. Virgil ambushed us." He said darkly, and Bobby looked at him in concern.

"You ok?" he asked, and he nodded.

"Yeah, he can't track us here, but the point is he is out there. We should get out of here." He said, and Cox nodded.

"I agree. But will our estimated dictator let us?" he asked, looking at Sam in concern.

Sam still felt the need to defend his brother, even if he was being an ass.

"He's...well it's because I died. And he was the one who killed me, it's messed him up. He just wants revenge, wants to get Lilith for doing that to us." He said, and Bobby nodded.

"Sounds familiar." He said, and Sam glowered, but did give a nod too.

"Yeah. Just like I did, and look where that got us." He said regretfully.

"And your daddy too." Bobby added, making Jody swat at him to shut him up.

"Yeah. Alright, we should be safe here for now, Lilith probably still thinks I'm dead, so we're safe for now. We can leave in the morning." Sam said, and Tamara looked at him worriedly.

"Look I get that Dean is scared, but he can't treat everyone the way he was earlier, he might have summoned Lilith right to us, and we barely survived, and you technically didn't survive." She said, and he nodded.

"I know. I've tried taking to him but he isn't listening to me. He thinks its his fault." He lamented, and Missouri looked out the back window.

"Sam, I hate to worry you, but your brother has left the caravan and he's heading out." She said, and Sam rolled his eyes.

"Great. Now he's going for a drink, just what we need. I better go and stop him." He said, heading out after him, leaving the others debating about Dean behind him.

"Where are you going?" Sam called as Dean reached the door.

"Out." Dean responded, not breaking in his gait.

"Dean, you aren't going to go and do something stupid are you?" Sam asked worriedly, and Dean turned to glare at him.

"No I'm not, I'm going out for a drink if that's alright with you, I need one." He said angrily, turning away from Sam again.

"We're trying to get out of here, Lilith knows where we are and eventually she'll find us and we'll have another army of demons to deal with." Sam said, trying to make his brother see reason.

"She thinks you're dead, which is the only good thing that's happened today. So I'm going to go out and enjoy a nice cold beer." Dean said, and Sam trotted up behind him.

"Dean, you need to be careful. Virgil knows we're around here." He said, and Dean turned furiously to him, his mouth thin and eyes blazing, making Sam take a step back.

"Did you get attacked again?" he demanded furiously, taking an angry step towards his brother, who held his ground stubbornly.

"Yes. Virgil attacked me when I went looking for Aimo, which wouldn't have happened if you hadn't been such a jerk to him." Sam said sourly, and Dean rolled his eyes.

"For god sake Sam! You barely came back from the dead, and you try and get yourself killed again!" he roared.

"I didn't die on purpose Dean! And it isn't your fault, and don't think I don't know that's why you're doing this. I've been there, hating everything, wanting to hunt down and destroy the one who made my life hell."

"You didn't kill me." Dean growled, but Sam just glared at him.

"No, I just died and you made the deal to get me back. After you had gone to hell, I thought it was me who had killed you, that if it weren't for me, you would still be alive. And that's exactly what you're going through but you won't let me help. Please Dean, don't shut me out." Sam pleaded, and Dean turned.

"I'm going out." He said brutishly, heading for the door once more, and Sam felt his control over his patience slipping.

"Dean, stop being such a jerk!" he yelled, and Dean glowered at him.

"Not until you're safe." He said angrily, and Sam was getting more exasperated by the minute.

"Dean, I am safe, I'm here, with you!" Sam cried in exasperation, and Dean shrugged.

"I'm not safe for you to be around." Dean said stubbornly, and Sam ran in front of him, blocking his way.

"Yes you are! You're my big brother, the one who looks after me, protects me!"

Dean looked at him sadly.

"Yeah, and then I killed you." He said sadly, shouldering Sam out of the way, and trying to keep his frustration in fell into step behind Dean.

"Dean, you didn't kill me, it was an accident." Sam said sadly, but Dean ignored him.

"Lilith made me kill you. And I'm going to kill her. I want her head on a platter for what she did to you, and I'm not going to stop until I get it." He said with determination, and Sam put his hand on Dean's shoulder.

"Dean, please listen to me, you're doing what I did and that was a mistake. Don't do it. We can kill her, but together." Sam said earnestly, and Dean turned to face his brother.

"No we can't. Not together. She is going to die for what she did to you, but you can't be there." He said, and Sam narrowed his eyes at his brother.

"Meaning what?" he asked, not letting Dean know how his answer might upset him.

"Meaning I don't want you there. I don't need you anymore." Dean said and turned and left Sam standing in the doorway to the warehouse, looking dejectedly after his brother.

XX

It was a roadside diner that he stopped at, and it was a sheer stroke of luck that he found them when he entered the diner. He'd just been getting himself some food when he turned and saw the group of hunters who had appeared at the house sitting together. Charlie smiled in relief. Since he had somehow appeared in Angel Pine, he had blazed across America, determined to catch up to the Winchesters and their group so he could capture Dean.

Dean who had murdered his brother in cold blood. He was never going to forgive or forget what he had done, not until Dean was dead at his hand.

"Aren't you the guy who was working with the Leviathan?" Joshua asked suspiciously as he approached, and Charlie abruptly found a knife at his throat.

"If he is, he can go the same way as his bunk buddies." Emily said coldly, and Charlie gulped.

"I assure you, I didn't want to work with Valente, I had no choice. Look, all I want is Dean Winchester dead, and I was hoping you knew where to find him. And you could use the extra help right?" he asked, wincing as Emily drew blood.

"Well, he is human. He's pathetic but human." Garrett said, and Joshua looked at him musingly.

"I suppose we might be able to use you. You leave that demon Sam to us though. You get Dean, and you also follow our orders." Joshua said, and Charlie nodded.

"Seems fair to me. You have any idea where they are?" he asked excitedly, and Emily gave him a cool smile.

"We have some idea. We interrogated a demon, who tells us that Lilith has taken over hell, and has just fought the Winchesters recently. We're following the trail. Sooner or later we'll get them." She said, and Charlie grinned.

With this lot, who weren't monsters like Valente had been, or inept like Reynolds, he would finally be able to avenge his brother.

And put Dean Winchester in the ground once and for all.

XX

Sam was sitting in the caravan, thinking about his brother. Dean just wasn't coping. He knew his brother, loved his brother more than anything. And he also knew nearly everything about Dean. And due to his reaction, he knew Dean wasn't coping with what had happened, and wasn't coping very well at all.

Dean blamed himself, hated himself, for what he had done to Sam. Accident or not, he, as usually, thought it was his fault. And as a result of that, he was angry, hateful, lashing out at everyone and everything all because of how much he hated himself. He thought he had failed, had done something so horrible he didn't deserve love or compassion, or forgiveness. He thought that by being the one to accidentally murder his brother, he had nothing left to lose in the world. And as a result of that, he was willing to do anything to kill Lilith, including getting his brother to take demon blood. In fact his very suggestion that Sam do that again showed just how much Dean had lost his way.

Sam frowned sadly. This was all his fault. He had been the one who had gotten killed, and even though he had come back, he had left a deep mental scar on his brother. Something in Dean had broken because of what had happened. To someone who had dedicated their life to protecting Sam, the fact that he had been the one to kill him had seriously messed Dean up. And as a result of two factors in his mind, the part that made him so overprotective of Sam and the part that wanted to kill everything that hurt Sam, both were now conflicting against each other, and Sam had a horrible feeling in his gut as to where that might lead.

Dean was losing it. He was angry, violent, and obsessed with getting revenge. He was lashing out at everyone and everything, turning the people who loved him against him like he felt he deserved, taking all the blame for what happened onto himself when it wasn't his fault. If anyone's, it was Lilith's, or Sam's. He looked miserably around the room.

Dean was trying to push him away. He wanted Sam not to need him, so he could go off, kill Lilith and not care about any of the consequences. Dean was saying things to Sam he wouldn't ordinarily say, all because Sam had died. He kicked at the table miserably. At least he hoped Dean didn't mean them. He had said he didn't need Sam anymore, and the way he had been acting made it quite clear that he didn't think so. But Sam still needed his brother, now more than ever.

He had to make Dean see that it was alright. That if he kept going like this he was going to lose everyone, and get himself killed. He had been there, consumed with revenge, wanting to kill Lilith more than anything because she had taken Dean from him. And now the positions were reversed, Dean wanted revenge and was willing to do anything he could to get it, including alienating the one who loved him most.

Ironic really.

Sam stood, determined. He had to find Dean, bring him back, make sure he didn't do anything stupid, let him know that it was ok. He needed Dean, no matter how much Dean tried to persuade him that he didn't. He needed proper Dean back, not this vicious, cold and cruel replacement. He wanted his brother back.

Steeling himself, and considering it ironic that Dean must have felt the exact same way when he had tried to stop him killing Lilith, he left to find his brother.

**So, Sam has died and Dean is not coping well with it at all is he? He's completely tortured, knowing he was the one who killed his little brother even if it was by accident, and its slowly destroying him. He's been angry and guilty before, but never like this. Can Sam talk him round?**

**And now Raphael no longer needs to resurrect the boys if they die now he has both Nick and Adam readily available. What will this mean for the boys who are getting into even deeper trouble as time goes on?  
**

**Now I know not a lot happens this chapter, and that our bad buys seem curiously absent, but that's going to change next chapter. Edgar is about to show up, the hunters are getting closer to the group, there's a death or two coming, and we will see if Sam succeeds in talking sense into his big brother before it's too late!  
**

**So, in an ideal world the next chapter will be up tonight too (sorry last night wasnt an update a friend just got back from holiday and we were catching up), but until then, please read and more importantly review these last two chapters, it is greatly appreciated!  
**

**Bye for now and hope to update later!  
**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural**

Bleeding Storm

Dean downed his third whisky in a row. He had promised Sam he wouldn't drink anymore, after the first time he had nearly killed him, back in Dillimore. Even then, it hadn't been so bad. Dean had stopped short of strangling the life out of his little brother, and his brother had gone on breathing. When he had been controlled by the siren, he had stopped short of strangling him to death once again, and due to Sam's own actions, he hadn't shattered his little brother's neck. And when he had been a soulless zombie, even then he had stopped short of killing his little brother.

This time it was all different. This time, he had been the one who had stuck the scythe into his brother's back, ripped it down through his spine, slicing his little brother open. This time, he couldn't just hold his brother and soothe him, tell him lies like it was going to be alright, that they would fix him, that he would get him back, that he would get revenge on the one who had taken him from him. This time, Dean was the one who had murdered Sam. Not Jake. Not a wish gone wrong. Not Zachariah. Not Anna. Not Walt and Roy. No this time it was Dean. Dean. His big brother had been the one who had killed Sam. Dean, his stalwart protector, his eternal defender, the one who would do anything for him, he was the one who had killed him this time round.

And Dean just couldn't cope. Dad, Bobby, Ellen, Jo, Mom, even Cas, all of them had always said 'protect Sammy'. And he had tried so hard, and most of the time, he had succeeded. Even when he hadn't, he had always gotten Sam back. This time was so much different. This time he was the one who had killed Sam. He had failed in his job, his mission, to protect Sam, and he had been the one who had actually killed his little brother. He couldn't reconcile it within his mind. His mind was split into two sections. One was the part that protected Sam. The second was the part that killed anything that hurt him. And now, both of them were banging against each other as he tried to wrap his head around the fact that he had been the one who had snuffed out his brother's life force, that he had been the one who had made Sam draw his last breath, which could have been his last one ever had he not somehow been resurrected. He could have been the one who took his brother away from him forever. He could have been the one who destroyed the best thing in his life.

It was all on him. He had killed Sam. He had killed his little brother, and there was no way he was ever going to forget that.

Dean took another sip of his whisky, not caring anymore. He had promised Sam he wouldn't drink anymore. He had also promised Sam he would protect him, that he wouldn't let anything hurt him. And he had failed. And considering he was failing so drastically he may as well fail properly, at everything he set up for himself.

He only had to kill Lilith. Then Gordon. Kill them and Sam would be safe. Nothing would hurt him again, he would make sure of it. He wanted Sam safe, and that meant making sure Lilith was dead, as dead as it was possible to be if not deader. Sam had to be safe.

"Dean?" Sam asked softly, sitting down beside him at the bar.

Dean closed his eyes in irritation. He didn't want to talk to his brother, he wanted to protect him. His brother was better off without him, that way he couldn't hurt him.

"What are you doing here Sam?" he asked, and his brother looked at him intently.

"Dean, you're being ridiculous. I'm here, I'm right beside you, alive." Sam said, but Dean shook his head.

"Sam, this was different. I can barely cope when someone else kills you. Remember last time? I flipped. Completely. And this time, it's so much more different. I'm the one who killed you. How am I meant to cope with that?" Dean asked irritably.

"By talking to me! Dean, I know what you're going through, and I'm trying to stop you from making the same stupid mistakes that I did, please listen to me!" Sam implored his brother, who stubbornly took another drink from his whisky.

"It isn't the same thing Sam. I killed you. All my life, it's been my job to protect you. And all of a sudden I kill you. Can't balls up much bigger than that." Dean said miserably, ignoring Sam as he shook his head.

"But Dean, you did nothing wrong!" Sam wheedled, and Dean abruptly stood, glaring down at his brother.

"Did nothing wrong? I fucking killed you Sam! I stuck the scythe into your back and ripped you open like a piñata! So don't you sit there and tell me I did nothing wrong!" Dean yelled, attracting some very curious looks from the other denizens of the bar as he stormed to the door away from his brother.

"He's...um, he's very melodramatic. His tv show gets cancelled and it's the end of the world sort of guy." Sam assured them hastily, which they seemed to buy, allowing Sam to rush out after his brother.

Dean was blazing up the street, away from the bar, and Sam could virtually feel his anger, fear and distress from several paces behind him. Problem was that despite Dean being the one with the lead, Sam had longer legs and quickly caught up with him.

"Dean, stop it!" Sam said, grabbing his brother by the shoulders and spinning him to face him.

Dean's face was a mask of different emotions, grief, anger, despair, guilt, disappointment, and just looking lost. He looked at his brother, his eyes narrowing, and Sam couldn't tell why, whether it was through anger at him, disappointment with him, guilt, contempt, he just couldn't tell.

"Let go of me Sam." Dean said, his voice flat and emotionless as Sam pinned his arms to his sides.

"No. Dean please, you have to listen to me. This wasn't your fault. It was an accident. I died yeah, but I came back to you, just like I always do. I'm still here, so why are you suddenly acting like a one man army?" he asked, and Dean glowered.

"Because there is a murderous bitch out there who made me do what I did, someone who is gunning right for you. And she isn't going to let up. As soon as she finds out you're alive, she's going to be after you, wanting to kill you. Again. And I don't intend to let her. I'm going to hunt her down and kill her like the monster she is." Dean growled, and Sam shook his head, feeling tears coming into his eyes.

"Dean, please. You're doing what I did. After Lilith killed you, I wanted her dead. I wanted to hunt her down and make her hurt, make her pay for killing you, for doing what she did, for taking you away from me. And even when you came back, I was still so obsessed with getting revenge that I changed into something I never wanted to be, an evil, revenge driven monster, a sort of demonic version of dad. I didn't listen to you, and we drifted apart, I nearly lost you. And we've worked so hard to be brothers again, I don't want to lose that too. I agree with you, Lilith has to die. For a start it's the only way we're going to screw over Raphael. I'm with you all the way Dean, I will do whatever it takes to help you kill her. But this time we do it together. Please don't do this alone. Talk to me, I can help. Please Dean. This isn't you, you aren't being you. I'm ok, you didn't kill me. Please..." Sam begged, tear filled puppy dog eyes in full force.

Dean however, for the first time ever, proved immune to them, and he shoved Sam off of him, making Sam stagger back sadly.

"I'm going to kill her Sam. I'm going to hunt her down and rip off her head. I'm not going to let her hurt you again. So, either you shut up, fall into line and help me out, or you shut up and stay behind where you'll be safe, because either way, come the morning, we're going after Lilith. And seeing as you won't help with your powers, we're doing it my way. Clear?" Dean asked, his voice tight and sour, and Sam nodded softly.

"Clear." He said miserably, and Dean nodded and turned to leave.

"Dean...I know you want to kill Lilith because of what she made you do, but it was an accident. I don't blame you, it wasn't your fault." Sam said desperately, trying to get his brother back.

Dean froze a little, then kept moving, Sam hurrying to keep up with him.

"Stop blaming yourself, don't feel guilty, it wasn't you." Sam said, trying to hold his brother back.

Dean then abruptly turned and punched him in the mouth, knocking Sam off his feet, leaving him to look up at his brother, hurt, angry, and slightly frightened as he saw the look on Dean's face. Dean had been drinking, but not enough to make him do anything stupid. But still, Sam froze as he saw the look on his brother's face.

The same look he had had that night in Dillimore when he had almost killed him.

Maybe his brother did resent him, did blame him, he thought sadly.

"You think that makes it better? You don't get it! What I did to you, how I did it, you don't understand!" Dean raged at his fallen brother.

"Then help me understand, I just want to help!" Sam yelled back, but Dean shook his head.

"No Sam. I'm doing this for your own good. Lilith has to die, it's the only way you'll be safe, the only way everyone will be safe. This is the only way to make it right. So shut up and deal with it already, because we're doing this my way." Dean said angrily, and stomped away without even offering to help his brother up.

Sam looked at Dean's retreating back sadly, feeling the tears spilling down his cheeks. Dean was so consumed with anger, guilt and revenge that he wasn't Dean anymore. All he cared about now was killing Lilith, and he didn't care who he hurt in pursuit of that goal. Even if it was his own brother. He had surrounded himself in a fiery armour and was determined to repel everyone who tried to come near him.

Even Sam.

Sam looked at where his brother had disappeared miserably. This was all his fault. He had gotten himself killed...and as a result he had lost his big brother

XX

Sam couldn't find Dean when he got back, he supposed he was lurking somewhere around the warehouse, but he wasn't in the coach or the caravan. With everyone still shaken, he went to the caravan to try and figure out some way to fix his brother, but sitting in the dark caravan only irritated him as he held some ice to his damaged mouth, trying to reduce the swelling from his brother's punch. He was losing Dean, the same way Dean had lost him. He wondered if Dean had felt as helpless as he did right now, having come back and all of a sudden everything had changed, everything wasn't the way it was supposed to be. He hadn't felt this helpless in a long time. He remembered feeling helpless when he had found out about Dean's deal, when he saw his brother was struggling with his memories of hell, and he had hated not being able to help at the time, and he felt even worse now. This was worse because it was his fault Dean was being the way he was.

"Sam?" a voice called as they entered the caravan, and Sam looked up miserably.

He saw Diamond, leaning against the door to the caravan, looking at him in worry.

"Hey Diamond." He said, his voice tired and she flicked on the light, sitting next to him on the couch, her eyes trailing critically over the glass of whisky he had gotten himself when he had come in.

"Are you ok? We're all worried about the two of you, and Bobby's going off his head because neither of you are staying still long enough so he can plant his flask on you." She said with a slight smile, and Sam shrugged.

"I don't know. Dean's...he's angry. He's angry, he's guilty, he hates himself, he thinks he failed and he's lashing out at everyone who gets in the way. He wants to kill Lilith, and he doesn't care about what happens in the process, he's pushing everyone away. Ugh this is all my fault." He said in irritation, taking a sip of his whiskey, and Diamond looked at him incredulously.

"How the hell do you figure that out?" she asked in disbelief, and Sam looked out of the window, not wanting to tell her.

"It's my fault. I died, I left him alone again, and this time it was even worse because he's the one who did it. And he just can't cope with that." He said grimly, and she looked at him angrily.

Then slapped him.

"Ow!" Sam yelped in surprise, feeling the sting of her slap.

"You listen to me Sam Winchester, and you listen good. This isn't your fault. This is all Lilith's fault. She made Dean kill you, it's all on her. It isn't your fault that Dean is acting the way he is. You were dead, there was nothing you could have done to save yourself, and there was nothing Dean could have done to stop himself. Lilith killed you Sam, she just used Dean as her weapon of choice. And I'm willing to bet this is what she wanted. If you had stayed dead, it would have destroyed Dean to know that he was the one who killed you. But even so, coming back to life it's still completely twisted him up. He can't deal with the guilt from knowing he killed you and it's eating him alive. But none of this is your fault Sam." She said, a blazing expression in her eyes, and he felt his lips smile just a little bit.

"Ok, thanks. I needed that. But you didn't have to slap quite so hard." He said ruefully, and she shrugged.

"Brute force, the only way to get through to idiot male hunters. Missouri is even now sharpening her spoons so she can give Dean a good seeing to when he rears his head again. All he's going to do is push people away. And then, if he pushes you away, it'll finish him off. Was it him who hit you?" she asked, and he nodded.

"Yeah." He said, removing the ice pack from his jaw and she looked at it appraisingly.

"You've caught most of the swelling, you'll get a bruise but nothing worse. Did you try to talk to him?" she asked softly, and he rolled his eyes in exasperation at his brother.

"Yeah, of course I did. I tried to persuade him it was alright, that everything was fine, but he wasn't listening, he still blames and hates himself, and nothing I say or do is going to change that. He's consumed with getting revenge and I...I'm scared I'm going to lose him. I'm scared I've already lost him. He isn't him anymore, he's me like I was when I was on demon blood, or dad all his life... I don't know what to do. He's doing the exact same thing I did, becoming so consumed with getting revenge on someone who hurt the other that we become just as bad as the thing we're hunting. And now, he even wants me to take demon blood." He said miserably, and she squeezed his hand.

"You don't though. Besides, you heard Crowley, the only one strong enough to give you enough of a boost is him and I don't think he's going to let you suck him off anytime soon." She said without thinking and Sam shot her a look, half shocked, half amused at what she had said, and she cursed herself.

"You know what I mean." She said tartly.

"It's just...he wants me to become a monster, and I know my brother. He would use it as long as he needed too, then his infamous double standards would kick in and he would turn on me, call me weak, evil, a monster, someone getting ready to let Lucifer in just like last time, and I can't deal with that again. It destroyed us last time, me becoming addicted to demon blood and I had to work so hard to get him to trust me again, it felt like forever, and then I became soulless on top of it, and then I had to work off that too, and even when I finally think he trusts me again he goes behind my back. And I'm the only one who has to do it you know. Cas did just as much bad stuff as me, he betrayed us, sold us out to Crowley, went behind our backs, pronounced himself God, set loose a load of our old enemies, set loose the Leviathans which got Bobby killed and he destroyed my wall, but it doesn't seem like Dean bothers as much about him. I had to kiss his ass for years, I died, and I still felt like he didn't trust me, and Cas singlehandedly does everything I did all over again but does he get it constantly rubbed in his face? No. And I know Cas is insane but the point is still there, he doesn't make Cas kiss his ass like he did me, and he's screwed up too. And now he wants me to start taking the demon blood again so he can go all one man army against Lilith, and as soon as that's done, he'll turn on me and I can't go through all that again." Sam ranted, and she touched his cheek softly, calming him.

"Feel better?" she asked, and he nodded, smiling guiltily.

"A little yeah. And, I'm worried. He's trying to push me away and I'm scared that once he kills Lilith he's going to try and leave...maybe forever." Sam said worriedly, and she frowned.

"What, you think he might kill himself?" she asked in alarm, and he shrugged.

"Believe me, after the last few years it wouldn't be the first time either of us have considered it." Sam said miserably, staring at the scar on his hand, the memory of Lucifer and hell, which he quickly suppressed.

Diamond frowned.

"So what do we do?" she asked in concern, and Sam shook his head.

"That's the thing, I don't know what to do! I'm losing him again, and I...I don't know how to fix him, I hate feeling this helpless." Sam said, a tear running down his cheek which she wiped off with her thumb.

"You're not helpless. You're his brother. If anyone can fix this, its you." She said, and he gave her a thankful look.

"I hope you're right, because I'm not in the mood to lose my brother again." He said, sounding so determined but so sad and lonely at the same time that she couldn't help but reach to hug him.

And as she wrapped her arms around him to pull her closer, he hesitated slightly, then kissed her softly on the lips, before pulling back quickly.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have done that." He said in embarrassment, but she shook her head.

"It's ok, I liked it. But I was only trying to hug you to cheer you up." She said, and Sam smiled guiltily.

"Yeah sorry." He said, and was pulling away from her, so she leaned forward and kissed him again, and he reciprocated, stronger, more passionate this time before he pulled away hastily.

He hated the flicker of hurt that he had put in her eyes by doing that.

"Diamond, I'm sorry, it isn't you, it's just...if I get close to woman, usually the next thing I know is that they're dead, it isn't because I don't like you, because trust me, I really do." He said, and her eyes widened in understanding.

"Oh I see. I'm sorry." She said, letting go and flushing slightly, and Sam looked at her.

A beautiful girl, slim with beautiful brown eyes, long blonde hair with dark streaks through it, pale skin, who was funny, caring, understood the crap they dealt with, and here she was, helping him and Dean fight every monster in creation and also still finding time to try and cheer him up. What was he doing?

"Don't be." He said and leaned forward to kiss her again, this time his hand snaring her hair as he pressed his lips against hers.

She kissed back passionately, and Sam stood, as did she and he once more kissed her, one hand grabbing onto his long hair while the other began to undo his shirt. Sam held her against him, kissing her longingly as she guided him into the bedroom, making him fall down on the bed. Poised on top of him, he raised his hands and undid her clothes, and then leaned up to kiss her, and she reciprocated, slamming the door shut with a kick as the two of them lost themselves in a passionate frenzy, her hand stroking up his bare chest. And then she kissed him once more, and his problems ceased to exist.

XX

When he awoke the next morning, Sam found Diamond sleeping soundly next to him. Kissing her neck, he climbed out of the small bed, stretching.

"Good morning." She said happily as she awoke, rubbing her eyes and being greeted by a very nice sight.

"Yeah. You too." He said, and she looked at him guiltily.

"Um, do you think we're going to have to hide this from the others?" she asked sheepishly, and he shrugged.

"I don't think it'll be a problem, most of the others are too old and wise to wind us up about it, and Dean's too pissed to care, we should be fine. We're moving." He said worriedly, looking out the window in concern.

"Yeah, and if Dean's in charge, you can imagine where to." She said worriedly, watching in disappointment as Sam pulled on his jeans and tousled his hair to stop it looking so mussed.

"Damn it Dean." He cursed, pulling another shirt from his bag and sliding into it, and he grinned as he passed her her shoes.

"You might need those. And um, these." He said, grinning as he passed her more of her clothes that had been draped around the room.

The caravan was still relatively quiet. Marion was snoring in one of the seats, Meg gave them both a smug grin and ignored them, and it sounded like Tamara was in the bathroom.

"Where we going?" he asked as Diamond made them both some coffee.

"Lilith's house. Dean waited until we were all asleep last night, got to the wheel and drove us out of the city." Meg said, and Sam rolled his eyes.

Great, on top of everything else, he was drink driving. Resolving not to mention that little fact to Marion or Jody, he looked worriedly out at the coach.

"What are you doing Dean?"

XX

Crowley's house, well, Lilith's house now was a nice suburban affair. And it was also completely empty. Which suited Valente, after all, that bitch Lilith was a little too powerful for comfort. And at the moment he needed all the comfort he could get.

Roman was furious. The angels were beginning to break seals left right and centre, the Leviathans he had guarding them weren't up to the job, and the one he was entrusting to sort the problems they had by killing the Winchesters, Lilith and Raphael had screwed up time and again, and as a result, Edgar had now arrived.

And he was also not happy.

"You're lucky Dick doesn't bib you. The only reason he hasn't is the fact that we can't spare anyone else. The plan is moving forward, and we need to stop the angels launching the Apocalypse. But Valente, if you fail once more, I swear to you, I will eat you myself." He said in his deadly quiet voice, and Valente suppressed a shiver of fear.

"This plan will work sir, have no fear." He assured, and Edgar looked at him sceptically.

"And what makes you think this plan will work?"

"Haven't you heard the rumours?" Villar asked, and Edgar glowered at him.

"Roman and I don't deal in rumours, we deal in fact. And the fact is the three of you are so incompetent that the Winchesters and their allies have barely broken a nail since encountering you in the hospital. What rumours?" he demanded, and Featherstone stepped into fill the silence.

"Rumour has it that Sam Winchester was killed during an attack by Lilith. We know what Dean is like, how protective of his brother he is. If he blames Lilith in any way for his death, he will come here and he will be looking for revenge. That's why we're here. He comes, and we attack him and kill him. Simple. No more Winchesters." She said with grim delight.

Edgar nodded.

"Fine. I'll help you with this. But if this fails Valente, it'll be your head that'll be decorating my dinner table tonight." Edgar warned, and Valente gulped as Edgar strolled through the house away from the incompetents who had allowed the Winchesters to get far too far.

XX

"That's them alright." Charlie said as Emily drove her minivan along the motorway, keeping a fair bit away from the coach which they could just see ahead of them.

"You're sure?" Joshua demanded, and Charlie nodded.

"Yep. Bet you're glad I came along now, otherwise you might have missed them." Charlie said, and Weston glowered at him.

"Don't get too excited with yourself, all you did was check in with a couple of traffic cops. But I will admit, because of you it'll be that much easier to get to Sam and kill him." He said in satisfaction.

"What did he do anyway?" Charlie asked curiously, and Emily narrowed her eyes dangerously.

"He brutally murdered my father. His excuse is that he was possessed, but that's a pile of bull. Ever since day one, little Sammy Winchester has been bad news. Part of it was his father, he was a lousy dad. Part of it was Dean who indulged him. But that kid was born evil. He started developing weird powers that he used against hunters. He set loose a whole bunch of demons in Wyoming, and then he started to use his powers more and more, and it ended with him becoming some sort of evil freak who turned on his brother. And then he kicked off the Apocalypse. Trust me, if anyone deserves death, it's Sam Winchester. Lot of good people are dead because of him. My father included. So, I'm going to split him open like he split my dad." Emily said, and Charlie nodded.

"So, you get Sam and I get Dean?" Charlie asked and she nodded.

"That was the agreement. And I'm the one who will change that." She said warningly, and Charlie nodded.

"Don't worry. I just want Dean for what he did to my brother." He said, and Joshua tapped him on the shoulder.

"Let me have a round or two with Dean first before you kill him. I owe that jumped up little queer." He snarled, and Charlie grinned as Emily edged them ever closer to the coach.

XX

Dean had parked the coach and caravan not far from Lilith's house. And now, he was insisting that they all go to scout it out, and if it seemed like it was inhabited, find her and kill her.

"Dean, we can't just go rushing in without a plan." Bobby said patiently, and Dean glowered at him.

"We go in, we overwhelm her, we decapitate her. There, a plan." He said, sliding the scythe into his jeans.

"Dean, this is foolhardy. Besides, there is angel protection on the place. I cannot get in." Aimo warned, and Cox frowned.

"That could be a problem. I'm good but I can't heal with a twitch of my nose." He said, and Aimo looked at him in confusion.

"I twitch my nose?" he asked, and Jody smiled.

"No sweetie, he's talking about a tv show, way before your time." She assured him, and Aimo nodded.

"I see. So what can I do?" Aimo asked, not liking this plan at all but still wanting to be part of it.

"You can stick around in case we need you. We'll try and find some way to get you in." Dean said, not really caring, and Aimo glowered at him, but as Sam said stood his ground.

"Dean, this is stupid! We know you want Lilith dead, and we agree, but this isn't the way to do it. We'll be attacking her at home, where she's stronger!" Missouri said, noting with satisfaction the small bruise on his temple where she had whacked him with a metal ladle the night before.

"They're right Dean. All this is going to do is get people killed. We're not saying we won't do it, we're saying that we'll wait, think things through and then make a move." Marion said, and Dean slammed his fist into the table in frustration.

"Don't you guys get it? The longer she's alive, the stronger she gets, and that brings the Apocalypse closer! I'm trying to save this crappy world, and if we kill her sooner rather than later, it'll be a damn site easier!" he yelled.

Sam narrowed his eyes at his brother.

"Yeah, but this isn't about saving the world, this is about revenge. And don't glare at me Dean, you know I'm right." Sam said angrily, sitting beside Diamond, and Dean glared at him as if he had betrayed him.

"Yeah it is. I want her dead for what she's done. Sue me. You were just the same once." He reminded his brother, and Sam clenched his fist angrily.

"Yeah I was and all it caused was problems. I'm hoping you'll learn from my mistakes." Sam said, keeping his voice civil, but with great effort.

Dean looked at him dismissively.

"Don't you preach to me after everything you've screwed up Sam. We're doing this my way." He ground out, and Sam stood, as if to pounce on his brother from across the table, but Jody, Diamond and even Meg restrained him.

"You've screwed up too Dean. So don't take the high ground with me, because I know just how much you've screwed up over the years. Maybe not as badly as me, but just as often." Sam snarled back, and Dean flinched, he hadn't actually expected Sam to fight back.

"Oh yeah. What did I screw up then?" Dean demanded, and Sam smiled darkly.

"Lisa and Ben for a start." He hissed, and Dean looked as if he had been slapped, and Bobby intervened before this got ugly.

"Enough you pair! Belligerent edjits, act your age. Dean, stop baiting your brother. Sam, stop rising to his bait, it's what he wants. Now Dean, I don't know what the hell is going on in that head of yours, but your plan is only going to get people killed. So this is what we're going to do. A small group of us will go in, give the place a quick shufty, we come back, then we make a plan. Got it?" Bobby asked, and Dean and Sam, both glaring at each other, nodded, not speaking.

"Good. Now, Dean, Sam, Marion, Reynolds, Meg, you're with me. The rest of you, stay here." Bobby ordered, and the others all nodded as they headed back to the caravan to get supplies.

XX

Sam knew he shouldn't feel bad. Dean had deserved it. But he did feel bad, it had been a low blow bringing up Lisa and Ben. So, as the others milled around outside, and as the ones from the coach split off to get supplies or fuel or to get some sun, he approached Dean who was selecting a weapon from the duffel under the bed he had slept in the night before with Diamond. But as he lingered in the doorway, he thought of what Dean had said. That if he didn't have to protect Sam he would be better off. That Sam was useless. That he didn't need Sam anymore. He knew Dean was angry, but what if he was simply venting his true feelings at long last? Telling Sam how he really felt?

"Dean?" he asked softly, and Dean's hand clenched, and Sam edged a little backwards in case Dean swung for him.

"What Sam?"

"I wanted to say I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought up Lisa and Ben." He said, and Dean glared at him.

"Yeah. You shouldn't have." He said angrily, sliding a knife into his pocket, and Sam glowered at him. He had started it after all.

"And I also seem to remember telling you that if you ever talked about it again, I would break your nose." Dean said angrily, advancing on Sam, and Sam took a fearful step backwards, fearing his brother was going to hit him again.

"Dean..." Sam said fearfully, wondering how his brother could have changed so much, all because of something he had done, but Dean's fist, while clenched, didn't rise.

"Enough. Let's just get this done." Dean said briskly, heading for the door, but Sam made no move to get out of the way of the bedroom door.

"Dean, please, what is wrong? This isn't you, you aren't acting like you. I want my brother back. Please." Sam begged, and Dean glowered at him.

"You ever think maybe your brother doesn't want to come back to you Sam? Ever think that you might be the reason your brother keeps screwing up?" he asked savagely, and Sam flinched.

"All the time." He whispered pitifully, and Dean gave him a sour look.

"Good. Now, let's go." He said, shouldering past Sam.

Sam looked at his brother, hurt and fear and anger filling him. His Dean was gone, he was completely gone. This new one, the one that cared only about revenge, didn't care how much he was hurting Sam. In fact, he seemed to be revelling in it. After everything they had been through together, done for each other, he had thought he had meant more to Dean than that. Maybe he did, to normal Dean. But angry, uncaring, revenge driven Dean was a whole different matter.

"Do you really not need me anymore?" Sam asked, and he saw Dean hesitate, before he turned and gave him a cold look.

"No." He said simply, and Sam turned away from him, resentment and hurt building within him. Usually he refrained from smacking his brother, even when he deserved it and invited Sam to do it, but still, he couldn't help but want to smash his brother's brains in for being such an idiot the last couple of days.

"Then why are you so bitchy that I died? Because whatever else you want to tell yourself Dean, this is about me dying on you. It was an accident. I don't blame you, I don't hate you. Well not for that anyway," he said coldly, and he could see the ghost of hurt in Dean's angry eyes, "but you aren't being you! I don't blame you, it wasn't your fault, it was an accident, so please stop acting like such a jackass and go back to being my big brother!" he pleaded, and he could see the emotional vulnerability opening up in Dean, and he began to hope that he had finally gotten through to him.

Until his mask went back into place.

"You done? Lilith's still out there. Get a weapon." Dean ordered, and Sam shot him a look of deepest loathing as he turned to the bed to pick a knife.

And then he felt Dean wrap his arm around his neck, squeezing him in a chokehold. Sam gasped and tried to pull at Dean's arm, trying to free himself, but Dean's grip around his neck was too tight. Sam hit Dean's arm and he felt his legs go heavy, his eyes rolled in his head and he passed out, going limp in Dean's arms.

"I'm sorry Sam. I'm doing this to protect you. And I swear I'll make it up to you." Dean said sadly as he raised Sam onto the bed, moving the weapons to the floor as he placed his unconscious brother under the covers to keep him warm.

He knew he was being an idiot, knew his anger was pushing away the one who loved him the most. But he couldn't be affected by sentiment. He had to kill Lilith, it was the only way Sam was going to be safe. He had to protect Sam. It was the only way he could make things right.

"I'm sorry Sam. Please forgive me." Dean whispered, stroking his brother's hair back from his face, before turning away and putting his angry, emotionless mask back on.

He had a demon to hunt.

Lilith was going to die.

XX

The team, which Bobby thought suspiciously didn't contain Sam, edged forward. Dean, Bobby, Marion, Reynolds, Meg and Garth all looked at each other cautiously, and Dean opened the front door to the mansion that was once Crowley's, but now belonged to the queen of hell.

They entered the house, weapons held aloft, all looking at each other suspiciously.

"Where did you first meet Crowley?" Meg asked, demon killing knife held in her hand.

"In the drawing room." Dean responded, and following him, they made their way quietly through the house.

Bobby however was worried. The absence of Sam showed just how much Dean's reckless, angry attitude was affecting his relationship with his brother, and the sneaky little sod kept leaving his flask elsewhere so he couldn't berate him about it. If he didn't stop, he was going to lose Sam, and everyone else for that matter, and not to death, just to his own self destructive ways. But along with worrying about Sam, he was also worried about this place. It was quiet, far too quiet. There wasn't a sign that anyone was living here, and it was freaking him out. After their last encounter with Lilith, he wasn't in any particular hurry to face her again, but he was hoping that by killing her, Dean would go back to normal, well at least as normal as he ever was. But the lack of any sign of habitation was making him very uneasy.

The group entered the drawing room, and Dean could see someone was sitting in the chair by the fireplace, a glass of whisky in their hand. He silently drew the scythe, advancing despite Garth shaking his head at him. Bobby looked around. This wasn't right, it was far too easy. In fact it smelled like a...

"Hello Dean. Nice to see you again." A voice said from the shadows.

Trap.

Dean spun around to see the Leviathan, Edgar, stalking out of the shadows, flanked by Villar and Featherstone. Dean quickly turned to see Valente give him a smug smile as he rose from the chair he had been sitting in.

"Where's Lilith?" Dean demanded, and Edgar shrugged.

"Not here. Probably lording it up in hell, gloating about how she killed your brother. Either way, she isn't here, and we are." He said, smiling slightly.

"Drop your weapons." Valente ordered, advancing on them all.

"Dean, if we get out of this alive, I'm going to kill you." Meg hissed.

Reynolds glared at Valente, gun pointed at his head.

"Tell me one thing, because even the boys aren't sure on it...are you the real Valente, or just a clone?" he asked, and Valente gave him an indulgent smile.

"Why Fred, I'm a clone. Your friend Valente died quite some time ago. He was rather nice spread on toast." Valente hissed, and though Reynolds' hand shook, his aim was still quite steady.

"Bastard." Reynolds said, and Meg looked at Dean, giving him a significant glance, and doing the same with Bobby, who nodded.

And then Dean shot at Edgar, splattering black blood onto the wall.

At the noise, Garth, Marion and Reynolds opened fire, blowing holes in the brains of the Leviathans.

"Run for it, I'll hold them off!" Bobby yelled and the others turned tail and ran out of the drawing room, and Bobby called on his anger, sending items in the room hurtling through the air, slamming into the Leviathans. Featherstone roared, teeth showing and came at him, chomping down on the arm he raised to ward her off, and to his great surprise, Bobby felt pain as the sharp rows of teeth plunged deep enough to draw blood if he had been alive.

"We can affect ghosts too you know." She gloated, roaring again, preparing to strike a deadly blow.

"Balls!" Bobby cried, flickering out.

The group ran for the door, guilt filling Dean. He had walked them headlong into the Leviathans trap, gotten them all killed...

Edgar appeared out of nowhere, but Reynolds was too quick for him, smacking him in the mouth before he even considered showing his fangs. Garth shot the lock on the door and it swung open, Reynolds running through it. Valente and Villar then appeared from nowhere, Valente going for Garth, but Garth shot him in the hand and rolled through the door, and Marion elaborately dodged Villar's attack, following him through. Meg arced her leg up to knock Edgar from her path as she too made it to the door and got out into the sunlit courtyard.

Leaving Dean alone. Valente roared furiously, showing his teeth and swung at him. Meg turned to see Dean in trouble and was running back, but to her great surprise, Dean saw her coming, and fished the flask from his pocket. Sidestepping Valente, he elbowed him in the mouth before throwing the flask to her. Meg watched as Valente recovered, grabbed Dean by the back of the neck, and slammed his head into the wall. Dean collapsed to the floor, unmoving, and as the Leviathans roared, she made good her escape, leaving Dean behind.

XX

Sam groaned as he woke up. His brother had knocked him out. He was going to kill him, brother or not, he was going to kill Dean. The idiot had endangered them all with his antics, they had gone on far enough. Resolving to smack his brother the next time he saw them, he shook his head to clear it and opened the door, to see Tamara, Missouri and Jody, playing cards, looking up at him in shock.

"Sam? I thought you were with the others, what were you doing in there?" Jody asked in surprise.

"Dreaming about Dean." Sam snapped back, drinking some cold coffee to clear his head a bit quicker.

"Oh?" Tamara asked in a teasing voice, and he gave her a cold smile.

"Nothing interesting sicko, I was plotting how to kill him. The idiot got me in a chokehold and left me behind in some misguided attempt to protect me." He bit out, just as shouts came from outside.

"He did what? I'll kick him up the ass!" Missouri said, following Sam as he ran outside to see the hunting party arriving.

And his heart dropped when he saw that they were a person short.

"Where's Dean?" he demanded anxiously, and Bobby flickered back beside him, looking grim.

"The big mouths have got him. It was a trap." He explained, and Sam swore violently, making Aimo look at him with wide eyes as he left the coach with the others.

"Leviathans? What happened to Liilith? Did they kill her?" Marge asked hopefully, but Meg shook her head.

"Doubt it. The chompers must have moved in after she left, they reckon she's in hell. They've been waiting for us to show up, they knew Dean would come here, and now they have him." She said worriedly.

"And you just left him?" Sam demanded, his voice high pitched.

"We didn't have a choice Sam. But Valente knocked him out, so I think he might be in for some torture before they kill him, which means we have time to get him out." Marion soothed him.

Sam nodded, getting himself under control. Yes he was worried about Dean, but he had to think this through, otherwise they were all screwed.

"Alright. We can't let the Leviathans kill Dean, I want that special pleasure myself. And he may have been an angry, reckless jackass the last two days, but he's still my brother. So, let's put our heads together and see if we can figure out a way to save my asshole brother so I can kill him myself." He snarled, and with Diamond falling into step beside him, they all headed into the coach.

XX

Further down the road, Garrett smiled, having used a small microphone to pick up the gist of what they were saying, their car hidden by a parked lorry.

"Dean's been captured by the Leviathans. Sam is mounting a rescue for him." He reported to Emily, who smiled.

"Good." She said, and Vance looked at her curiously, and also slightly lustfully.

"Shouldn't we just let the Leviathans have him and go in and kill Sam now?" he asked, but she shook her head.

"After what he did to my father, I want Sam to suffer before I kill him. Which means he will get to see his precious big brother die before I kill him myself." She said, and Charlie smiled.

"Good, means I still get to kill him. What do you have in mind?" he asked, and she pulled out a trunk from beneath one of the benches in the back of her van.

And they all whistled appreciatively as they saw the weapons she had stored there.

XX

Dean woke up in the kitchen, to find he was tied down to the kitchen table, with Featherstone standing above him, smiling darkly.

"Good, you're awake. I was getting bored. Now the fun can begin." She said, walking slowly towards him, a vicious looking cleaver in her hand.

"Fun? Sorry but you aren't my type." Dean said, and she gave him a grim smile.

"Not the sort of fun I have in mind. After all, I always enjoy myself when I cook." She said, and Dean gulped a little, as she put down the cleaver and picked up some scissors.

"Um, no offence lady, but I prefer take outs." He said nervously as she came to his left hand side, smiling down at him patronisingly.

"Such a naughty little human. Take outs give me wind. Not to worry. Now, to unwrap the food." She said, and Dean yelped in pain as she stuck the scissors into his chest by accident.

"Whoops, mustn't spoil the meat." She said, and Dean thrashed, but with his arms and legs bound to a table leg each, aside from being very uncomfortable, it also meant he could do nothing to stop her as she cut off his shirt and cast it aside, leaving him bare chested in the cool kitchen air.

"How's dinner coming?" Valente asked as he entered the kitchen with the others and she waved at them patiently.

"It will take a while. Come back later." She said irritably, and Edgar smiled down at Dean.

"Don't die too quickly Winchester, you deserve to live through as much of it as possible. Hmm, I think I'll send Roman your head, he can roast it himself." Edgar said, and Dean realised just how much trouble he was in.

Captured by Leviathans, he was about to be chopped up and eaten. He was about to be eaten by these monsters, and Sam...

Sam. His baby brother. The one who he had been pushing away, the one who he had been trying to protect. Dean closed his eyes in anger and disgust with himself. He had tried to convince himself that treating Sam like that would make him more independent, mean he could stand on his own two feet without relying on Dean. It would mean that no matter what happened, he would be safe, if Dean died his brother would live on.

But now, trapped on a kitchen table about to become human stew for a Leviathan's dinner, he regretted it all. All the things he had said to Sam. His own anger, self hatred and guilt, and he had once again directed them at Sam. He recalled every sad, hurt look Sam had given him over the last two days. Sam probably thought Dean hated him, blamed him for what had happened to him. The only person to blame was Dean himself. Dean had treated him horribly, to try to persuade him to stand alone, to be strong on his own, but who had he been kidding? Everyone knew how reliant the boys were on each other. Dean needed Sam as much as Sam needed Dean. Dean had been awful in what he had tried to do, and had seriously hurt his little brother. He had even suggested Sam take demon blood again, what sort of brother did that? The sort that was worse than the lousy sort. But Dean couldn't help but be proud of Sam. He had his big brother telling him to take the demon blood, the one he needed the most to support him, and he had still not done it. He had refused to take the blood, even for Dean. What sort of brother tried to make a former addict fall off the wagon? A jerk that was who. But Sam had resisted, and despite being hurt and upset by Dean's treatment, his little brother had been there all the time, trying to persuade Dean to talk to him, as usual just wanting to help.

And Dean had told him that he didn't need him anymore, that it was all his fault what had happened, that he was to blame for the mess Dean was in. The things Sam feared the most, and Dean had done them coldly and callously to hurt his brother.

The last thing he had said to Sam when he had been conscious was to tell him he didn't need him anymore. He knew he had been being a jerk, annoying everyone, hurting Aimo and more importantly Sam, but wrapped in his own anger and self loathing, he had kept going. He had threatened to attack, and it was with a guilty pang that he remembered hitting Sam the night before, and Sam edging away from him in fear, the same fear he had had in Dillimore, the fear that the one he loved had turned on him.

Dean groaned sadly. He had hurt his brother so badly, scared him, frightened him, rejected him, and now he was about to become a monster's appetiser. Served him right. His only regret was the fact that he would never get to see Sam again, to apologise to him, to assure him that he hadn't meant all he said, to tell him he was proud of the way he rejected the temptation of taking demon blood even when his brother had been urging him to do so. Dean snorted at himself. He had wanted to make his brother back into a monster, something vile. He was the vile one. He had called Sam a monster before, but this time, he was the monster, and he hated what he had become.

He would never get to see Sam again. And he would die, and Sam would spend the rest of his life tormented by what his brother had said, wondering if his brother really had secretly hated him.

Dean looked up as he realised that Featherstone was rubbing olive oil over his body.

"What the hell are you doing?" he demanded, and she smiled.

"Oiling the meat to give the skin that nice, crispy taste." She said, and he looked at her in horror.

"Wait, you are actually going to cook me?" he demanded hysterically, and she looked at him in bemusement.

"Well of course, I'm not going to eat you raw, I'm not an animal." She said, twisting salt and pepper onto him, the pepper making him sneeze.

"You sick bitch!" he said, and she gouged out a chunk of his chest, about the size of a fingernail, making Dean scream in pain.

"I do like garlic in my dinner." She said, stuffing a clove of garlic into the small hole she had just made.

Dean screamed as she repeated the process, struggling, the oil running down his skin, the smell of garlic getting up his nose along with the pepper.

This was it. This was how he was going to die, he was going to be roasted and eaten by monsters who were making him into a Sunday roast.

"Hmm, some spices I think." She said, picking up a bit of cayenne pepper and sprinkling it onto his bare chest, making contact with the small wounds and he howled in pain as it stung.

"No, please, stop!" he screamed, and she hummed to herself as she put a dash of lemon juice onto him, making him scream in pain as the citrus stung his wounds.

"Hmm, what else?" she asked, until a bullet round blew a hole through her head, spraying her blood across the back wall.

Dean, still shuddering in pain, looked around to see Sam rushing down the stairs into the kitchen to free him, gun in hand.

"Dean!" Sam cried in relief, his expression frantic and turning to horror as he saw what she had been doing to his brother.

"Sam, I..." he begun, but Sam cut him off with a filthy glare.

"I'm not talking to you, and I'm only saving your stupid ass so I can kick it myself." He snarled, and Dean wisely went quiet as Sam freed him from the table and helped him to his feet, the garlic falling from the gouges in his skin. Sam handed Dean a gun, just as Featherstone got back to her feet, glowering at them both.

"I hate it when the dinner doesn't stay for dinner." She growled, rearing back her head and roaring, only to be shut up for a bit by a bullet from both brothers.

Turning, they ran up the stairs from the kitchen, to see a battle in full swing, as Bobby smashed a window and sent the glass hurtling at the three Leviathans.

"Why'd he do that? We can't get out that window, it's too small." Dean said, grinning slightly as Meg kicked Villar in the throat.

"I know. But Aimo can get in, he was bringing down the protection." Sam explained, and as he did so, the young angel appeared, earning a furious roar from Edgar.

Aimo drew his sword as the Leviathan charged at him, and he sent a white pulse into the monster. However, the attack barely slowed the beast, and swearing, which he had almost certainly picked up from Dean, he appeared behind Edgar, grabbed him and vanished.

"Aimo!" Sam yelled in panic, but a second later, the angel appeared again, grinning widely.

"Turns out he can't swim very well, I dropped him in the Gulf of Mexico!" he said brightly, and Sam grinned.

"Alright, we've got Dean, let's get out of here people!" Marion yelled, joining the others in firing multiple rounds at Valente, while Meg kicked Villar into a bookcase which toppled on top of him.

Featherstone had come up from the kitchen, her face a picture of fury as she advanced upon them, roaring as she did so. Jody smiled and fired the flare gun, and the Leviathan screeched as the burning shot landed right in her open mouth, fire belching from inside her.

"Good shot!" Diamond said as the group clustered together, making for the door.

They dashed through the hallways, making for the front door, their way clear. Diamond looked around, out to the black night outside, and she knew they were almost free. They got to the doorway and banged it open, leaving the three remaining Leviathans furiously behind, and they dashed across the dark courtyard.

"Back to the coach and let's get the hell out of here!" Marge said, taking a look back and not liking what she saw as the three Leviathans ran out of the house, catching up with them.

Diamond could have sworn she saw something move out the corner of her eye, but dismissed it. They were nearly to the gates when a van stopped right in front of it, dispelling the vampires, who were hissing maliciously.

Thrown by their sudden appearance, the group stumbled to a stop.

"Hello folks. Miss me?" Gordon asked, clearly fully healed and out for revenge.

"How did they get here?" Garth asked in shock, as the group clustered together, Sam, Dean and Bobby doing some very quick thinking on how the hell they could get out of this one.

"We have Leviathans coming up behind us." Tamara said worriedly as the monsters got closer, roaring as they approached.

Diamond looked around, her mind working overtime as she tried to think of a way out of this one, when a small, red laser light appeared on Sam's chest. Gasping, she moved without thinking as a shot rang out, strangely loud despite the clamour of the vampires and the Leviathans.

Sam looked at Diamond as she came to a stop in front of him, and as the bang resounded across the courtyard, he immediately felt his heart clench in panic. No, no, no...

And Diamond, a small red hole in the centre of her head, gave a weak sigh and fell back into his arms, blood leaking from the wound in her head, her eyes closing as she fell.

"NO!" Sam screamed hysterically, as the hunters, led by Emily who was holding a smoking sniper rifle, emerged from the bushes, grinning victoriously, their weapons covering both the vampires, the group and the Leviathans.

Dean looked down in shock as he saw Sam cradling Diamond's dead body, feeling sick as Joshua and the others advanced, weapons raised. They were trapped, Diamond was dead and it was all his fault.

Looking down at Sam crying over Diamond's body, guilt rising in his gut as he saw how much pain he had just inflicted on his little brother in his quest for revenge, he moved forward to cover Sam with his body as the others hustled together, weapons raised, as three deadly enemies advanced upon them, ready to kill them all.

**Ha, managed two chapters in one day!**

**Now, I know some of you were opposed to romance for the boys, and I have decided not to put Dean with anyone (and after the way hes been acting who would sleep with him anyway), but I did always intend for Sam and Diamond to get together...for a while. Did anyone really expect her to survive with her flirting with Sam? Sleep with Sam Winchester and die after all (not entirely sure that would be a bad thing). So, I hope you dont mind that I put that in.  
**

**And Dean went ever so slightly crazy, and now Diamond is dead and his relationship with Sam is on the rocks. How will Sam react to Diamond's death? Will he blame Dean? Will Dean manage to get Sam to forgive him? Speaking of, notice Dean hasnt called Sam Sammy since he's lost it. Will Dean be able to make it up to his little brother?  
**

**Featherstone really is a crazy bitch, who sticks garlic in people? Womans a real nutter...  
**

**And Emily has made her first kill, and she may very well have others before the end of all this. And I know I promised two deaths but I decided to move the next one to the start of the next chapter instead.  
**

**Oh, I meant to say on the last chapter but I forgot, the deaths of the angels breaking the seals that were unexplained might come up in a future story...  
**

**Sorry to any Edgar fans but I couldnt really have him around as we go towards the finale, but we havent seen the last of the big league Leviathans. Desperate times will soon call for desperate measures...  
**

**So once again, we are in a rock and a hard place, Dean and Sam's relationship is on the rocks, another member of the group is dead and I'm still no closer to figuring out how long this will be.  
**

**Next time we see the aftermath, we get another death (I think), a visit from Crowley and the return of the angels as the road to the Apocalypse gets more and more bumpy!  
**

**Hope you're enjoying so far, please read and above all else review the latest chapters, I'll be very appreciative!  
**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural**

Bleeding Storm

Standing protectively in front of Sam, Dean glanced around the three factions that were moving towards them, all glaring at each other and their trapped prey. Marion looked up at Charlie, lip curling in disgust.

"I see you wasted no time in shacking up with some other maniac trying to kill us all." He challenged his former deputy, and Charlie shrugged.

"You can talk Marion, you're rubbing shoulders with a known murderer." He said, glancing at Dean, who narrowed his eyes and was seriously beginning to wish he had killed that brother instead.

"He may be a murderer, and an idiot, but he isn't a monster." Marion growled, and Charlie gave him a filthy look.

The Leviathans stalked forward, making Garth raise his gun slightly higher. Sam glared up, his eyes full of fury as he looked at Diamond's body and then he glared at Emily who stared at him, a small smile playing on her face.

"Now you know how it feels to lose someone important to you, just like I do." She gloated, and Sam lowered Diamond to the ground and was about to launch himself at her when Dean and Cox blocked the way.

Dean looked at his struggling brother in confusion. Yeah, Sam had liked her, but to be this pissed off...unless...oh no. Sam must have slept with her last night, but he, so wrapped up in his own quest for revenge, hadn't noticed. Hating how inattentive he had been, and loathing how much Sam must be hurting and feeling guilty and feeling cursed, he glared at Emily.

"You know, he's lost more people than you can even count. We lost our dad too." He said, and she shrugged.

"Not my problem Dean. What, do you expect me to come out in sympathetic tears because you lost your daddy too? Big deal. He wasn't killed by another hunter, like mine was. And he wasn't just killed, he was murdered, brutally." She snapped, and Meg stepped forward, glaring at her.

"Look, you want to be mad at anyone, be mad at me. Whatever you want to believe, Sam didn't kill your daddy. In fact, he struggled a lot against me when I was doing it. I'm the one who possessed him, he couldn't control it." She said, and Emily shrugged.

"His body, his fault. He should have been stronger, strong enough to beat some two bit demonic hustler like you." Emily said snootily, and Meg tensed up in fury.

"Charming though this is, we really have little interest in this. Kill them." Valente ordered, and the Leviathans struck, the air filled with bangs as both good and bad hunters opened fire, and with lethal hisses the vampires leapt into the fray.

Aimo knelt down beside Diamond's body, and sighing sadly, flashed her body away to the coach. She deserved to be sent on properly after what she had done.

"Thanks Aimo." Sam said, firing at Gordon who was coming right for him.

"You're welcome." He said, revealing his sword and lunging at the Leviathans charging at him.

Joshua fired his gun, a bullet heading straight for Sam, determined to kill the demonic hunter. Dean saw this and with a furious yell leapt at Joshua, smacking him in the face with a punch that sent him falling to the ground. Dean then fell upon him, repeatedly slamming his fist into the hunter's jaw.

"Leave my little brother alone." He demanded viciously as he beat Joshua to a blood pulp.

Marge ducked away as Ramoa leapt at her, firing at Weston as she did so. Gordon was currently locked in a vicious brawl with Sam, which despite Sam not being augmented in any way, Gordon was losing, and losing badly as Sam vented his frustrations onto the vampire.

"Sam!" Bobby cried as Verity leapt for the hunter, seeking to protect her leader.

Jody then fired a shot, clipping Verity in the right shoulder. Verity stumbled to the ground, then looked up, black eyes glaring at Jody. She then leapt at the sheriff, her fist slamming into Jody's stomach. Jody reeled backwards, glaring at the vampire angrily and advanced on her, slapping her hard in the face. As she and Verity devolved into a catfight, Missouri had problems of her own as Garrett was cornering her, forcing her up against the wall as the others fought. Missouri cursed as Garrett advanced upon her, grinning maniacally.

"You know, I never did like psychics. Always seemed a kick off becoming a demon if you ask me." He said, and she narrowed her eyes.

"So that's why you joined up with Emily then, because you want to kill people with powers you don't understand." She snapped, and he shrugged, grinning unabashedly.

"True that. And besides, I knew Steve." He said, and she shook her head in exasperation.

"And you just heard Meg herself Sam tried to fight it." She said angrily, and he looked unconcerned.

"Yeah, so what? Still should have fought harder. And he started the Apocalypse, and it's because of him and his damn brother that it's about to start all over again. Death's too good for them Missouri." He said, and lunged at her, a wicked knife going for her gut.

Missouri spun out of the way of the attack, grabbing his hand and directing the knife away from him. Overextended, he stumbled, allowing Missouri to slam her hand into Garrett's neck. As he stumbled away, gagging in surprise, she turned, only to find herself confronted by Weston, who smiled as he lunged down at her.

Grant sprang from nowhere at Dean, knocking him off of Joshua. Joshua rolled away from the vampire, watching as Dean kicked the attacking vampire in the stomach, forcing him away from him and allowing him to regain his feet. Joshua scrambled to his feet, watching as Sam hacked at Gordon with a long knife, forcing the vampire into retreat. Joshua smiled in delight. He had Sam, right where he wanted him. He would save them all, kill the demon monster, he would kill Sam Winchester.

Sam kicked Gordon away from him, forcing the vampire back, and Joshua seized his rifle, pointing it at Sam.

"Hey, Sam, your little whore dead?" Joshua called tauntingly, and Sam turned, and with a triumphant grin, Joshua squeezed the trigger.

The gunshot rang out over the clamour of the battle, and Dean abruptly stopped his fight, and looked towards his little brother. Sam gasped as the two bullets entered his body, blood streaming from the holes in his chest. He fell backwards, arms flailing outwards and he fell to the ground, his eyes closed, his hair splayed out around his unmoving head.

"SAM!" Dean screamed in anger, pain and fear, and, abandoning his fight with Grant, he sprung at Joshua, tackling the hunter to the ground viciously. Joshua tried to use his rifle to knock Dean away, but furious, driven with grief and fury, he wrenched the rifle away from him. Joshua smacked at him, but Dean ignored it, thinking only of killing the one who had shot his little brother, not caring about anything else but revenge.

Bobby looked in shock at Sam's body, lying there on the ground, dead once more. He couldn't be dead. Not again, they had just lost him two days before and had gotten him back, there was no way he could be dead again. Bobby fought to his side, using his powers to fling Vance away from him, kneeling by the boy's side while Cox, after flicking a knife rather accurately at Valente, who was currently brawling with a frantic looking Aimo, dropped to his knees beside Sam, taking his pulse, and he shook his head, disbelief etched on his face.

"He's...he's dead." Cox reported in shock, looking at Bobby.

Bobby shook his head in disbelief, and then saw that Dean, who would normally have been the first to Sam's side, was nowhere to be seen. Turning, he saw the boy, tears and hatred marking his face as he forced Joshua's rifle into his mouth, Joshua screaming in a muffled sort of way as he did so, desperately swatting at Dean but unable to move him away from him, and his eyes were wide and fearful, fearing the deadly angry look in Dean's eyes, the look that told him he was about to die, painfully.

Dean snarled down at Joshua, forcing the rifle further into his mouth and ignoring the pleading look in Joshua's eyes, grabbed a hold of the trigger and fired the gun. Joshua was dead before he even knew what had hit him, most of the back of his head a bloody, broken mess, brains spilling out onto the ground. Dean snarled angrily as he rose and fired at each of the vampires who were trying to get to his brother. His brother was gone. His brother was dead, again. And yet again, it was all his fault. If he hadn't been so obsessed with revenge, if he hadn't pushed Sam away, if he hadn't walked headlong into the Leviathan's trap, he wouldn't be dead. Neither would Diamond. Dean had lost Sam again.

He had lost Sammy again.

He had lost his Sammy again.

And it was all his fault.

"We need to get out of here, otherwise we're going to lose Dean too!" Marge yelled, and lunged backwards, swinging a small but wicked looking knife upwards into Jessie's throat, and with a heave of effort, sliced through her neck, killing the vampire.

Dean turned, peppering the Leviathans with bullets, screaming furiously as he did so, his eyes crazy, his face and bare torso covered in blood, his face red with anger, his mouth a permanent snarl as he shot at anyone and everyone, forcing the attackers back.

Gordon saw Sam's body, smiling in delight as he did so. Sam was dead. At long last he was dead. His only regret was that he hadn't done it himself. Time to make his way out of here, he thought, not at all liking how dangerous and unbalanced Dean suddenly seemed. He was screaming holy murder, pumping round after round into whoever he could reach, scattering and weakening the Leviathans. Aimo looked at Sam's body and gave a high pitched scream, seeing someone he cared about lying dead on the ground, and the scream made Gordon and the others feel and clutch their heads as the angel's pitch started to fry their insides. Reynolds swept his blade along, slicing through the neck of Ramoa, and leaving only the three leading vampires. Gordon beckoned to the others and they ran for the gate, though each of them received a bullet from Dean as they made good their escape.

Emily looked down at Sam's dead body and smiled in satisfaction. He had died for murdering her father, and she had no inclination to get involved with these damn Leviathans. It was time to go. She whistled, and Vance fired at Jody, who had taken a serious beating from Verity and began to follow her. However, Garrett and Weston were still taunting Missouri, and she didn't have time to wait.

"No, we can't leave now, Dean isn't dead yet!" Charlie yelled, but she shot him a furious look.

"I get it, you want Dean dead. But Joshua is already dead, and with the vamps gone, the Leviathans have a lot fewer targets to pick on, so we're getting the hell out of here. We'll even help you kill Dean if only we get out of here now!" she yelled, and giving her a look of resentment, he followed Vance, and shrugging her shoulders at the lateness of the others, she followed them from the courtyard.

The Leviathans had recovered and were coming towards them, but now the hunters were the more numerous force, and Garth, Marion and Reynolds gave covering fire as they fell back to the edge of the courtyard. However, Missouri was still cut off, and they didn't have Sam's body, and Dean seemed determined to go on a last stand now that he had once more lost his little brother.

"Dean, we need to get out of here!" Bobby yelled, but Dean shook his head, anger and tears covering his face.

"No, not without Sam, we can't leave without Sam." He said defiantly, shooting another round at Featherstone as she approached, roaring furiously as she did so.

Garth hissed and ran forwards, backed up by Tamara and they took over shooting round after round at the Leviathans, and Dean bent down and scooped up his little brother's body, despair and grief colouring his face as Sam flopped lifelessly in his arms. Shaking his head as he looked at Sam's dead form, he gave a piercing howl that split the night air, falling back with the others.

"Hang on, we haven't got Missouri!" Jody said in alarm, looking as Garrett and Weston forced her against the wall.

Missouri was defenceless, cornered. She had nothing else to use, and she didn't see how her psychic powers could be useful. There was no way...unless...

Garrett swung at her once more, his knife nicking her shoulder as she ducked his attack, and headbutted Weston in the stomach, giving her the gap she needed to make a run for it. As she ran, she heard guns fire behind her, but she saw Aimo up ahead, hand raised, and she knew he must be keeping the bullets from her. She ran to Dean's side, exactly what she needed. Marion was swinging a knife at Villar, keeping him at bay, while Bobby had picked one up and was holding off Valente, and Garth and Tamara were continuing to fire rounds at Featherstone, but as the group made its way to the gate, they were stopped by a hail of gunfire, as Emily, Charlie and Vance opened fire from their car, scattering the hunters with machine gun fire.

"Where the hell did they get that?" Meg demanded, hiding behind the wall as the bullets scattered them all.

"Who cares, while they have it, we're going nowhere!" Marge cursed, ducking as a bullet came a little too close.

Villar pulled his fist back and slammed it into Marion's stomach, making Marion buckle as red blood poured from the wound the Leviathan had just caused.

"Marion!" Jody cried, covering Dean as he held his brother close to him, crying as he did so.

Valente gave a satisfied chuckle and dashed at Bobby, jaw opening, forcing the ghost into retreat for fear of getting bitten again. Featherstone struck Tamara, knocking her to the ground and Garth took a protective stance in front of her, but a bullet from Emily caught his shoulder, leaving him defenceless before the Leviathan.

"Garth!" Marge cried, but was distracted as Garrett slammed her with her own raised gun, and Weston went for Missouri, knife glinting, and it was clear he would get to her before Meg could get across the crossfire to help.

But Missouri then did something unexpected, and touched Dean's head, and forced her hand onto Weston's face, as if trying to push him away. Weston laughed at her futile gesture, but then he felt something unpleasant. Anger, hatred, pain, fear, grief, all the emotions swirling around him, and he began to get hotter, screaming as his body temperature rose to unbearable levels. Missouri looked at him darkly, sending all of Dean's negative thoughts and emotions into him, acting as a bridge between them.

And as she did so, she could feel her psychic abilities growing. She had never done this before, transferred someone's emotions to someone else, she hadn't even been sure that she could do it. But her own anger was augmenting the process, and there was a smell of searing flesh as Weston screamed in agony, his face glowing red. Everyone was looking at Missouri in shock as she channelled her psychic powers, channelling everything Dean was feeling into the hunter who was trying to kill her. Weston screamed and fell backwards, away from her hand, his face erupting into hundreds of tiny blisters, his hands going the same way, all of him glowing bright orange as a result of the heat of the emotions, and with a final terrified gasp, smoke and the smell of cooked meat rose off of him, leaving him dead on the floor.

Garrett looked at his fallen comrade in horror. The psychic had just cooked him alive, using Dean's emotions to do it. Giving a scream of fear, he dashed past them all, who were all too busy ducking from the machine gun rounds, and as the firing laid off to let him through, Meg saw their chance.

"Move!" she said, and Tamara got to her feet, helping Garth up as they fled, and collecting their wounded they ran out of the courtyard, Leviathans right behind them, Missouri dragging her feet.

"You're going to need to move faster Missouri!" Bobby yelled, and before she could say anything, Reynolds lifted her, fireman style, onto his shoulder and they ran for it.

But, Garrett had reached the hunters van, and now Emily could open up again with impunity. She gave a wicked smile and raised her machine gun, just as the coach and caravan shot down the road, slamming into her van, and she screamed as it was knocked onto its back, trapping them in the bay behind the cabin.

"What the...who's driving?" Marge asked in confusion as it came to a stop in front of them.

"Who cares, anything's better than being eaten." Bobby snapped, throwing open the door, and they all clambered into the coach.

Aimo turned and saw the Leviathans approaching, and with a concentrated effort, he conjured a great wind. Villar flew back first, surprised by the unexpected attack and was slammed into the wall. Featherstone lasted a little longer before she too was blown backwards, but Valente, the strongest of the three of them, was about to reach him when Jody shot him in the head with a rifle, sending him reeling. Aimo leapt aboard, taking her hand as he did so, the door slammed shut and their mysterious driver stood on it, blazing the coach away from Lilith's house, allowing them to make their escape.

XX

The Apocalypse was coming. And now it was up to Apronia to break another seal. There was exactly what she needed, a fishing boat with fifteen sailors on it. And all she had to do was appear to them in her true form.

"Throw it harder!" one man yelled, ducking as a violent wave broke over the edge of the boat they were on.

"God help us, this storm's outrageous!" another yelled, and she smiled.

That was her cue.

She appeared in the middle of the deck, and all of them turned to look at her in surprise.

"Where the hell did you come from?" a man yelled as the boat bobbed up and down in the waves.

"Above." She said with a smile, and shed her human vessel, turning into her pure white form, and the men all screamed as their eyes were incinerated by the blast. She allowed herself to stay there a bit longer before resuming her human form, smiling in delight at the writhing bodies on the deck, their hands clutched to their eyes which smoke were arising from.

Another seal was officially broken. Thirty down, thirty six to go.

And there was nothing anyone could do to stop them.

XX

The coach was making good time away from the trap they had just walked into. Aimo had told them sadly that he had put Diamond's body in the caravan where it would be safe, but every time someone tried to persuade Dean to let the angel take his brother to the caravan, he refused, holding his dead brother tightly to him.

His brother was gone. Again. And this time, he hadn't come straight back. Their mysterious saviour had shut the door and wasn't answering any of the questions they called to them, and instead they all sat looking at Dean as he held Sam to him, sitting on the bed, tears in his eyes as he cuddled his brother to him, stroking his hair gently.

Dean knew they were watching. Curiously, none of their gazes were accusatory, only sad and sympathetic, aside from Missouri who had fallen asleep, and Aimo wasn't looking at Sam either, his face was downcast, but he was looking at Missouri with a twinge of concern. Bobby was looking at Dean in worry. It was like he was gone, Dean Light. All he did was sit there, rocking his brother and stroking his hair, clutching Sam's body to his chest, burying hi face in his hair. Sam had died, and something vital inside Dean had broke. Before this, he had been supporting it with fiery armour, but now it was all gone, and he was just a mess, a wreck, a ruin, a husk. Bobby shook his head sadly, looking at Cox and exchanging a dark look as he checked Aimo had healed Garth to his exacting standards. They had to get Dean out of this slump.

Away from the others, Dean just sat there, rocking his brother's body, making hushing noises in his brother's ear as he stroked his hair.

"I'm so sorry Sam, I was trying to protect you...and I screwed up. I wanted to make sure you were safe, and I let you die again, and even worse, I tried to turn you against me. I'm so sorry Sam. I don't hate you, I don't want you to become a monster, all I want is you, back here, with me. I lied when I told you I didn't need you. I do. I need you more than you need me, always did. Please don't leave because I screwed up. Please come back." Dean begged in an almost silent voice, breathing into Sam's ear.

He had lost his brother again. That was it. He'd had enough. Sam was gone, and he was done. The Apocalypse, whether it be biblical or Leviathan, could come and go, he didn't care. And as soon as he got a minute, he would happily blow his brains out and join his brother, and hopefully be able to make it up to him in heaven.

He snorted. If he even got to heaven.

Jody was considering going over to talk to Dean when she saw that they were turning.

"We're stopping." She said in surprise as the coach came to a stop on a hard shoulder.

"Maybe we're about to find out who rescued us." Reynolds said, and a second later the answer was revealed, and all their jaws dropped, and even Dean came out of his reverie to look in surprise at their saviour.

"Well don't just stand there gawping, one of you needs to drive this thing, I've done my bit." Crowley said irritably, and Bobby looked at him incredulously.

"Wait, you saved us?" he demanded, not believing it, and Crowley shot him a pointed look.

"Well who else do you see? You really have gotten thick by dying haven't you? What, the bullet screw up your dead brain too?" Crowley asked, noticing Meg trying to shrink into her seat out of the corner of his eye, and he raised his hand, waving it impatiently.

"Don't worry pussy cat, no need to wet yourself on my account. On an ordinary day I would incinerate you on the spot, but seeing as I'm on the run from Lilith, I'll let your continued existence slide this once." He said curtly.

Aimo looked at him curiously.

"It was really you?" he asked, and Crowley nodded.

"Yes. Because you got into too much trouble, I had to interfere. Don't worry, I'm not going soft or anything. The only thing is, I have a contract, and I honour my contracts. Lilith and Raphael die. That hasn't been done yet, so I didn't really have much of a choice when I saw how much trouble you were in. I had to protect my investment." He explained, and Jody nodded.

"I suppose that seems fair. So you save us, we keep going after Lilith?" she asked, and he nodded.

"Yes. Oh, that reminds me, speaking of Lilith." He said, clicking his fingers.

And suddenly Sam's eyes opened and he slowly sat up, making Dean look at him in surprise.

"Sam?" Bobby demanded, and he looked woozily around at them all.

"Um, was I dead again?" he asked nervously, and Aimo nodded.

"Joshua shot you." He explained, and Sam groaned, then looked at Crowley in surprise.

"Wait, you brought me back?" he asked, not quite believing it, and Crowley gave a slight grin.

"Believe it Moose. We made a deal. And I don't even let death cheat me out of a deal. You're in this until Lilith and Raphael are dead. That was the little bonus I put into the contract. A resurrection should one of you denim clad nightmares get yourselves killed. You're welcome by the way." He said, and Sam looked at his body in shock as he absorbed the news that he had been dead again and had been brought back by Crowley of all people.

"Well, thanks for the save." Reynolds said, and Crowley looked at him disdainfully.

"Oh, I didn't do it for you. I did it for me. I'm on the run, with virtually no friends to turn to. And that means I need a game changer to get Lilith off my back, and that means you lot. And I hope you appreciate this, because now she will know I'm directly helping you, and will send every bounty hunter she can after me. By the way, if you want to save the world, I'd get on with it, thirty seals have been broken. Bye now!" he said, and just like that he was gone.

"Well, bugger me." Cox said in shock as the deposed king of hell disappeared.

"So what did I miss?" Sam asked, his eyes nervously searching his brother, fearing he would see the angry mask fall back into place.

But Dean wasn't even looking at him, in fact he was purposely avoiding his gaze, and Sam turned away, hurt and dejected. He had made matters worse, he had died again, and now he had probably lost his brother for good, Dean would never forget it. Feeling miserable, his brain caught up with him, and he suddenly remembered Diamond, who had lost her own life protecting him.

"Diamond, is she?" he asked, and Aimo shook his head mournfully.

"I'm sorry Sam, but I can't do resurrections, I don't know how. She's gone." He said sadly, and Sam felt the bitter sting of tears in his eyes.

Yet another girl he had condemned to death. Maybe he was cursed, was poison. Dean was right about that at least, he thought miserably, hugging his legs to him.

"I'm sorry Sam." Tamara said softly, squeezing his hand as she sat down on the bed beside him, seeing his eyes fill with tears.

"On the bright side, Weston, Joshua and all but three of the vampires are dead." Garth said, in an effort to cheer Sam up.

"Hey, look what I found." Marge said, showing them a cigar that had belonged to Billy.

"We should burn it, a sort of funeral for him. And have one for Diamond too." Marion said, poking at his stomach experimentally.

Jody looked at Sam, saw his lip tremble, and nodded.

"Agreed. We can send them off, and then we can figure out what the hell we're doing next." She said, eyes on the two brothers who weren't looking at one another, and she shot a look at Bobby.

This wasn't going to be easy.

XX

Diamond's body, and Billy's cigar, had been laid to rest on a pyre as the group solemnly watched, tears running down many of the faces. And then, exhausted by the night's events, they had all decided to turn in. But Sam couldn't sleep.

Things had gotten so bad. There were still incredibly powerful monsters after them. The Apocalypse was coming right on schedule all over again. What was more, Diamond, a girl he had let himself feel something for, was dead too. He had been dead too, for a while, before Crowley had brought him back. And Dean still wouldn't talk to him, wouldn't look at him. All of this was his fault. Him, the demon hunter, the one who was screwed even before he was born, a special child created by Azazel, a thing of darkness and evil.

How much different would life be like for Dean if he hadn't been born? He'd have had a mom and a dad, a happy family, a normal life. Sam wouldn't have kept screwing it up. He could have gone his entire life without feeling the knocks of betrayal or loss that he did. He could have sat by, had a wife and a couple of kids, and let the Apocalypse, if it had even still happened, roll right on by him. Sam was the cause for all of that.

And now, the only good thing he had, the thing that kept him from losing it, was gone. Dean had always been there. Sometimes reluctantly, sometimes resentfully, sometimes happily, sometimes sadly, sometimes eagerly, but he had always been there, his big brother, steadfastly by his side. But that was gone. Something had broken in Dean when he had accidentally killed Sam, and then Sam getting killed again had further destroyed him. Sam had died, but it was Dean who had been lost. Sam sat in the corner of his small room in the caravan, arms wrapped around his legs, chin resting on his knees, tears of angry self loathing pouring down his face. This was all his fault, the reason Dean had lost it, the reason Diamond was dead, the reason the world was going straight to hell again. And now he didn't even have his big brother to guide him through it. He'd had him when he lost Jess, when he'd been recovering from the demon blood, coping with his soulless memories and even when he'd been putting up with Lucifer. But now, Dean was gone, and he wasn't going to come back to him. He couldn't even blame him. Sam was actually wondering why the hell Dean hadn't abandoned him years ago.

He sniffed, rubbing angrily at the tears in his eyes, sitting in the dark, hating himself.

XX

Dean was sitting in the corner of the caravan, listening to the noises of the others sleep. He'd failed. He'd tried to make Sam more independent, and had only succeeded in hurting him. He'd tried to kill Lilith and had only wound up getting Sam and Diamond killed. And he had tried to protect Sam, and had turned out to be his killer and the fault that he had died for the second time in as many days.

Sam had told him time and again that things weren't his fault. His little brother, loyally by his side, and while he may stray, he always came back to him, like some sort of boomerang, or incredibly loyal dog.

And Dean didn't deserve that loyalty. He never had. He had made Sam kiss his ass for years to make up for things he had done, but the thing was, Dean probably should have been begging Sam to stay with him. Sam had screwed up, yeah. But so had he. And he was always the one thinking with his fists. He remembered when Sam had warned him about Gordon, and he'd hit him. He remembered Sam going solo, and Dean had hit him. Even when Sam didn't deserve it, his brother was using him as a punching bag. Dean had done just as much wrong as Sam had over the years. The entire Apocalypse was his fault, if he hadn't failed to protect Sam in the first place, he never would have been in hell and hence never would have broken the first seal. Dean had hurt Sam time and again, did things wrong, but he always acted the moral superior, the one who was always right, even when he knew he was damn well wrong. Yet Sam had never made Dean feel like he had to kiss up to him, apologise. Sometimes, even when Sam knew he deserved an apology from his brother for something he had done, he never pressed for it, even when he didn't get one. He'd been a jerk to him all his life, and now, it was too late.

Death, guilt and finally accepting the truth had broken them apart, and now, there was nothing left. Dean forced away what he expected were tears. He would go to the coach, get his things, and get the hell out of here. He would hunt down Lilith and kill her, kill Gordon and Emily too, and then he would, well he didn't know. It would be his last gift to Sam.

His baby brother.

Dean stood up. He would do this last thing for his little brother, the one he loved more than anything. The person he would die for happily. And if he did, so much the better.

XX

Sam heard a noise, someone crossing the caravan. Sniffing, he opened the door to see his big brother, about to leave the caravan. And abruptly, it hit Sam what Dean was about to do. He was about to leave and never come back. Sam had forced him to leave, he'd hurt him so much, screwed him up so badly, that he didn't want to be here anymore.

"Going somewhere?" Sam asked, hurt and angry that if his brother was about to leave, he wasn't even going to say goodbye to him before he left.

"Sam..." Dean said, turning and looking at his brother with sad eyes.

Sad eyes that he had put there, by dying. He had died, and Dean was leaving as a result. Wait, why the hell was Dean leaving? He had died before and Dean had never left him. And now here he was, trying to sneak out and escape, before Sam could catch him. His big brother, the one who he loved more than anything, the one he had just died to bust free from the Leviathans, was about to leave him behind, without so much as a goodbye.

What the hell were the two of them doing?

Sam had died before. He had screwed up before. Dean had always been there for him, no matter what. Dead, addicted, soulless, insane, Dean had always been there for him. Dean was the one who held him very time he died. Dean was the one who soothed him when was scared, cheered him up when he was upset. And the selfish, pig headed bastard was about to walk out and leave him behind without so much as a goodbye? Dean had told him that all the things he had secretly feared, that his brother hated him, didn't want him around, didn't need him, that they weren't true. He had been saying that for years, begging Sam to believe him, and Sam, his emotions out of control as they already were, had let himself believe it when Dean had told him that what he had secretly feared was true.

Dean wouldn't do that. Not if he was acting like Dean instead of a prat.

Because he was Dean. He was his pig headed, arrogant, cocky, smart ass big brother, who had one downfall: he would do anything to protect his little brother. To protect his Sammy.

He was his big brother. He was his Dean. The one who was always there for him, no matter what. He was, well, Dean.

And this stupid, highly strung, revenge driven madman who he had busted out of the Leviathans claws, he wasn't him.

"So you were going to leave without saying goodbye?" Sam asked, his teeth bared, feeling his fighting spirit kicking in again. He might have been down, and temporarily out, but he was damned if he was letting this fake Dean walk out of here.

He was getting his big brother back, no matter what it took.

"It's best if I do it Sam, you're better off without me." He said, and Sam glowered at him, fixing a slightly nervous Dean in place, and he felt somehow that he was in very big trouble with his little brother.

"Really? I thought you were the one who was better off without me?" he snapped, and Dean flinched, and Sam felt slightly triumphant. Yes, Dean was still there.

"Sam, all I do is screw things up for you. You'd be better off without me." Dean said mournfully, turning to leave.

"You know what? I am so sick of you!" Sam yelled furiously, and that made Dean turn back to him, looking at him in bewilderment.

"Huh?"

"You arrogant, self absorbed son of a bitch! There's more going on here than your pretty little feelings princess! For years, I've been dragging around your sorry backside, and I've had enough of it! You always feeling sorry for yourself, feeling so hard done by, aww poor little Dean! Man up and grow a pair! I've dealt with every form of hell under the sun, the hell I was in made yours look like a summer camp, and I didn't drink myself into a stupor every night! I had Lucifer playing in my head day in and day out, and yet it was still always you who was the worst off! I've faced off more deaths than you can remember, I've faced off an addiction to demon blood, I've faced up to starting the Apocalypse and I damn well finished it, I dealt with everything I did when I was soulless and I dealt with Lucifer being in my head all the time driving me insane, and yet you still think it's you who's had the worst deal out of the two of us? Dean, you have a brother who loves you more than anything, people who care about you, you don't have to deal with the hell I do, and yet you still think you're the worst off! I missed Dad too! I hate that we never had a mom! I miss Ellen, and Jo, and Rufus! Cas betrayed me just as much as he betrayed you, in fact he did a hell of a lot more to me than he did to you! And I lost Bobby too you self righteous, opinionated, stubborn, self pitying miserable excuse for a human being! For god sake get over yourself you selfish bastard! I don't like this Dean, I don't like miserable Dean, broken Dean. Happy Dean, cocky Dean when he came back, he's my big brother, not the manic depressive I've had on my hands these past few years! And I want that Dean back again!

Everything that goes wrong isn't your fault Dean. Everything that goes wrong isn't even my fault, there are other factors at play! The world does not revolve around you, you two faced hypocritical idiot! And now, here I find you, after I've died yet again, and you're about to waltz out of my life forever without so much as a goodbye? You complete arse Dean Winchester! I don't need you telling me what's best for me, I don't care if you're more dangerous to me than demon blood or heroin or whatever! You are my dumbass big brother and I'm sure as hell not going to let you leave without me! I want my big brother back, my real big brother, I need him back, and I sure as hell am not going to let you go and destroy him while feeling sorry for yourself!

Dean, shit happens in this world! It's crappy, it sucks, I know that! But we always beat it together, and if you walk out that door, we won't be able to beat it. Stuff happens that isn't your fault. Me dying isn't your fault! Even the one where you slashed me open, that was an accident! I didn't blame you, so why the hell should you blame you? And then you went all angry and pissy, pushing everyone away, including the only one who might be able to grasp what you were going through, the one who loves you the most, ME! You convinced yourself I would be better off without you, safer without you, the truth is, I'm not! What happened last time should surely tell you how badly I need you! You did not kill me, it wasn't your fault, and becoming a one man army against Lilith is only going to get us both killed for good! You didn't kill me, so stop feeling so guilty! You weren't even talking to me and I still died, which pretty much blows your theory out of the water doesn't it? I die with or without you Dean, and it sucks, but I've always come back to you! And now, you're trying to leave me behind, to go off and get yourself killed in some damn fool, glorious last stand to try and protect me? Fuck you!

You didn't kill me. It was an accident. You didn't mean it, but I meant it when I said I didn't blame you. I blame Lilith, the one who really is to blame. You then go off and nearly get yourself killed trying to kill her, and you expect me to be ok with that? It was an accident you block headed, conceited douchebag! You tried to push me away, you can keep trying if you want, but I'm not going anywhere! You can't protect me from everything, no matter how much you try to Dean. So for once in your life, stop acting like the tragic, misunderstood hero who's failed to live up to everyone's expectations and start acting like my big brother again, or so help me I am going to kick your ass from here to the next millennium!" Sam finished with a final roar, breathing heavily, his face flushed, his fists clenched in fury and frustration with his elder brother, who was standing there looking shell-shocked at the rant Sam had just thrown at him.

But he was right. He had gone off the deep end, become obsessed with revenge and had been a jerk to everyone, to try and protect Sam, make sure no one could hurt him. And he had hurt him the most, and to top it all off, Sam had still died, even when he had been acting the way he was, trying to protect him no matter what the cost. And he had lost the one who mattered most so many times, but Sam had always come back to him. And they had faced everything crappy, from the Woman in White, to Azazel, to the siren, to the angels, to the devil himself, to the mother of all monsters, even up to the Leviathans, and they had always come out on top.

Together.

"Sam..." Dean said, but Sam apparently wasn't done, and punched Dean hard in the jaw, sending his brother reeling backwards, falling out the open door and slamming to the dirt, out cold.

Sam stood, glaring down at his idiot brother, breathing heavily. And then he became aware of applause and whistles as everyone in the coach and the caravan came out, applauding him.

"Oh well done Sam, he had that coming. Took you long enough." Bobby said in exasperation.

"Good boy, I've wanted to smack him for being such an idiot too, well done Sam!" Missouri said proudly.

"And he wonders why you're the girls favourite? Dummy." Marion said, and Sam, smiling ever so slightly, turned to Marion.

"You got a pair of handcuffs?" he asked, and Marion nodded and went inside to get him.

"Would you like me to deliver some divine retribution?" Aimo asked hopefully, and Sam smiled at the kid.

"No Aimo, it's fine. I think me yelling myself hoarse and smacking him good and hard for once in his life might be enough. But if he still doesn't get the message, he's all yours." He said, and Aimo grinned and kicked Dean softly with his foot.

"What are those for?" Tamara asked as Marion passed Sam the handcuffs.

"To keep him here in case the asshole didn't listen to me." Sam said irritably, picking up his brother gently, holding him like a baby in his arms.

"Hmm, good idea. Does seem liable to run off at the moment don't he? Been acting very squirrely." Cox mused, to general nods and approvals of his plan, and Sam grinned, before finding his path blocked by Meg.

"Can I hit him? Just this once? Please!" she begged with a smile, and he shook his head.

"No. But if he wakes up and is still an ass, then you can hit him too." He assured her, and she put her fist into the air in victory.

And Sam then stomped into the caravan, set his idiot brother on the bed and cuffed his hands to the bedpost, before sitting down at his side to wait.

XX

Raphael wasn't sure of his mood. On the one hand, everything for the Apocalypse was going well. The Leviathans and their unseen, unknown support were largely failing to prevent the breaking of the seals, and they had now broken thirty two, so that was going well. He had talked himself with his brothers, Michael eager to get the battle over with and Lucifer eager to escape, and eager to not fight in the final battle, had both agreed to work together to fix Adam rather than torturing the kid. The demons were in chaos and not interfering, and those gnats called Winchester had been strangely silent and opposed to stopping the breaking of the seals. Also, the two vessels would soon be ready. But on the other hand, Virgil still hadn't found Aimo, the lack of any effort to stop him from the Winchesters was, he had to admit, unsettling, the rumours that Lilith had locked herself in hell were also slightly irritating and the fact that Roman was accelerating his plans and could affect them also wasn't improving his mood.

"One of the Winchesters died again didn't they?" Mary asked, and he nodded.

"Yes. Sam. But Crowley resurrected him." He said darkly, and Apronia stepped forward, smiling.

"Sir, forgive me, but it seems like we have...a common problem." She said, and he looked at her sceptically.

"Oh? What would that be?" he asked, and she smiled a little, hesitantly at first.

"Well, what else but the Winchesters? They could easily unhinge any plan we come up with, due to his fondness for the mortal little specs, Aimo betrayed us and killed Owen, and he could have told them all sorts of things they can use against us. They could easily thwart your plans." She pointed out and he sighed in irritation.

"I am aware of that Apronia, or are you suggesting that I can't handle the Winchesters?" he asked darkly, and she hastily shook her head.

"Of course not. But, what I was getting at it this. You want the Winchesters dead for good and out of the way. So does that vampire, well, at least Sam at any rate. That policeman wants Dean dead too. Lilith wants them both dead. So does the Leviathan. It seems to me that we all have the exact same problem, which could mess up anything we try to do. The Winchesters." She said, and he looked at her curiously.

"Are you suggesting we ally with scum like demons and vampires in order to kill the Winchesters?" he asked, and she shrugged.

"Not work with them per se. But, we could certainly guide them, and go about our business while they go about theirs, all the while working to obliterate the Winchesters." She said, and he frowned, not in anger, but in thought.

"Hmm. Perhaps you may be on to something." He said, sitting back in his chair as he began to consider it. Consider it very thoroughly indeed.

XX

Dean woke up to find himself handcuffed to the bed. His jaw was throbbing, his arms were sore from the angle they were stretched at and to make matters worse, he had a really annoying itch he couldn't scratch. But all of that paled in significance to the person who sat on the bed, glaring at him angrily.

"Hi Sam," he said awkwardly, then clanked his chains, "are these really necessary?"

"The others think you might run off. I'm not so sure myself." He said tartly, and Dean winced at the hard tone of his voice, the sarcastic, bitter edge that it had.

"Sam..." Dean said softly, and Sam glowered at him.

"Dean. After everything, you just decide to up and leave without so much as a goodbye? Do I mean that little to you?" he asked angrily, and then his voice adopted a soft, childlike tone that Dean hated, his hurt voice "or do you actually just hate me that much?"

"Sam...I'm so sorry." Dean said simply, earnestly, looking intently at his brother, and Sam crossed his arms in a hostile manner, narrowing his eyes.

Usually that would annoy Dean, that attitude, expecting Dean to admit he was wrong, but today, it was more than justified.

"I've been an asshole the last few days. In fact, I've been a hypocritical, whining and miserable asshole for a good long while actually, but particularly in the last few days. And you were right. I made a mistake Sam. When Lilith made me kill you, I saw so angry, so guilt, so upset that I lost it. I lost track of what it was I was trying to protect. I knew I was trying to protect you, but at the same time, I was forgetting that too. I feel so stupid and so sorry for pushing you away like I did. You didn't deserve it, you hadn't done anything wrong. It was me I was mad at. I had failed, I had let you get killed, I had been the one to kill you, and it messed me up, I couldn't deal with it.

You were right when you said it was because I had killed you. I just couldn't cope. So I figured that if I pushed you away, tried to make you less reliant on me, then you wouldn't get hurt so much. You wouldn't get killed. Turns out I was just as wrong about that as I was about everything else. You still got killed, and yet again it was my fault."

"Dean..."

"No Sam. It was this time. The first time, you were right. That was an accident, and nothing I could do would have stopped it. But this time, you came in to save my ungrateful, self pitying ass and it got you killed. And I'm so sorry for that Sam. I never wanted you to get hurt, it was you I was trying to protect. But because I lost myself, I only wound up hurting you more. And you weren't the only one either, I upset everyone else too. Even poor little Aimo. Normally I would feel a right jerk for making him run off, but I didn't even care. All I cared about was killing Lilith, and I didn't care who I hurt, what got in the way, or what it took, I just wanted her dead, because of what she'd done to me. And I know that you think I'm selfish and yeah I am but Sam, you have to understand what messed me up so badly about this one. It's always been my job to protect you, to look after you. And she made me betray myself by making me kill you. I wanted her dead because she had made me turn into her, turn into Jake, and Zachariah, and Anna and Lucifer, that elite club of people who've taken you away from me. I killed you Sam, something I've never been able to imagine doing. And it messed me up, and as a result, I was a total ass, and turned everyone against me. You in particular." He said sadly, and Sam rolled his eyes.

"Well that jackass might have been a good reason to talk to me, but no, you didn't did you?" he asked irritably, and Dean shrugged.

"You know me Sam. Keep everything inside until it explodes...problem is you're usually the one it explodes on to. Sam, I've been a major jerk the last few days. Well, them in particular. You were right. You have a hell of a lot more reason to complain than I do. You've lost people too, been hurt too, and by Cas, you're right, he hurt you a hell of a lot more than he hurt me. Guess I'm still a self absorbed prick right?" he asked with a small grin, and was delighted to see Sam grin a little too.

"Yeah, you are." He agreed.

"All this time, I've been so wrapped up in feeling sorry for myself I didn't see how badly I was messing you up, messing us up. You know, after you left because you didn't trust yourself, and I said I didn't trust you...I don't know if Cas told you. I tried to fill the void you left with him. Tried to convince myself that I was happy without you, that I felt free without you. But it didn't work. I don't know if I told you, but the future Zachariah sent me to...we didn't make up. We didn't get back together. And you gave in to Lucifer, not with some plan, but just because you didn't want to go on anymore without me. I didn't want you anymore in that future, and you figured you had nothing else left to lose, so you said yes. And then I watched as evil you killed future me. And believe me, future me was even more of an ass than I've been. I didn't want us to wind up like that, so the first thing I did when I got back was call you. And even then, I still messed us up." He lamented, and Sam shook his head.

"So did I Dean, I still craved demon blood, and then I came back all soulless..."

Dean cut him off.

"Yeah. But you had reasons, you had an addiction that I didn't support you through, and the soulless thing wasn't your fault. That was Cas. A lot of our problems are because of Cas, and I know it seems like I don't rub his nose in it as much as I do you, but believe me Sam, if he were sane then I would be rubbing it in even more than I did with you. That's where we're different. Even to a total jackass, you're still the better person." He said with a rueful grin, and Sam smiled a little.

"Until said jackass tells me I don't need him anymore and decides to walk on out. That used to be my thing." He said scoldingly, and Dean smiled.

"Yeah. Wouldn't blame you if it still was. I don't deserve you sticking around Sam."

Sam then slapped him in the head, hard, a hard look in his eye.

"And there's times I haven't deserved you. You still stuck around. And if you ever say that again Dean, I'll kick your ass." He warned, and Dean smiled.

"Yes sir."

Sam looked at him, his puppy dog gaze intent.

"Dean, listen to me. You are my big brother. You're a miserable, whiny excuse for one, and have been for a while, and yeah, that pisses me off. Sorry Dean, but I reckon I have a few more reasons to complain than you do. So does Bobby, he's dead for crying out loud. We don't complain, but you do. I know Cas' betrayal messed you up, losing Bobby messed you up, but you're not the only one affected. Ok? But, no matter how much of a pity party, a self destructive streak and a lack of effort to get up and stay alive you have, you aren't getting rid of me. I'm your little brother, and I'm not going anywhere. So don't you dare tell me I don't need you. Because I do. Not as much as I used to, but I still do. We're a team. You're my partner. Not Batman to Robin, or vice versa. More like the two Ronnies, or Starsky and Hutch. Equal partners. And I need that, and I need you. What I don't need is some arrogant self pitying jackass telling me how to live my life. I'll decide if I need you or not. And I decide I do." He said happily, and Dean smiled.

"Yeah, you're right. As usual. And...well in my defence if you had given me that talking to a while ago, I would have changed." He protested feebly, and Sam looked at him derisively.

"Oh sure. If I'd said that to you months ago, you'd have had a strop, denied it, then punched me, then refused to talk about it."

Dean winced. Yeah, he probably would have done.

But he could see it better now. Everything was better now. He had his baby brother back. His baby brother was alive and safe. And despite how he'd acted, he still needed him. It felt like a certain weight, a shadow, had lifted, and he smiled up at his brother.

"Sam, I asked you this once before, back in Dillimore. But...can I be your big brother again?" he asked hopefully.

Sam looked at him thoughtfully.

"It depends. Are you the miserable, self pitying, revenge obsessed big brother? Or are you my happy, cocky, smart ass, annoying, overprotective, tone deaf and also kinda awesome big brother?" Sam asked, and Dean felt a big grin on his face, and a little flush of pleasure in his cheeks.

Sam still thought he was kinda awesome. After everything. Kid deserved a medal, he really did. And, if he was kinda awesome, he could work at becoming totally awesome again.

"Well...I want to be the kinda awesome big brother again." He admitted, and Sam was still looking at him thoughtfully.

"So, you don't think I'm stupid, demonic, a burden, useless, a screwup,, the reason everything in your life apparently sucks and that you don't need me anymore?" Sam asked, and Dean cast his eyes downward, ashamed and guilty, feeling sick with himself for saying all those things to Sam. Trust Sam to remember them all though.

"No Sam. You're not stupid. Let's face it, every bad guy we've faced is right, I'm the dumb but beautiful," he interjected, "brawn and you're the kind of scrawny and gawky and nerdy brain." He said, and Sam smiled.

"Hey, I'm cute too." He said, and Dean smiled.

"And if there's something I feel awful about, it's telling you to take the demon blood. I was horrible to you Sam, through all of this, but I never should have done that, never should have tried to force you to go back onto it to fulfil my vendetta. I feel crappy about the entire thing, but that most of all. I've been a lousy brother to you, trying to get you to do that while having the brass neck t ask you to do it while shoving you away. So, hit me. I deserve it for that most of all, so go ahead." Dean said, and his head suddenly flew back as Sam smacked him once more in the jaw.

"Ow! You hit me!" Dean yelled, and Sam looked at him in confusion.

"You just told me to!" he protested, and Dean glowered, sucking his bleeding gum.

"Yeah but I didn't expect you to do it, you never hit me when I tell you normally." He grumbled, and Sam smiled.

"Maybe because you don't deserve it as much as you do right now." He said, and Dean had to admit he had a point.

"Alright fine, I deserved it. And I'm sorry Sam, for all the other stuff I said too. I was just saying that to hurt you. I was trying to push you away, to make it easier for you. So I said all the things I knew would definitely upset you, turn you against me. But I didn't mean any of them Sam. You know that right?" he asked hopefully, but Sam didn't answer, his eyes narrowd.

"Make it easier for what?" he asked in a deadly voice, and Dean realised that there was no way he was getting out of this without another bruise.

"Um, you won't like either answer." He said sheepishly, but Sam's eyes flashed and that broke down his resistance even quicker than the puppy dog eyes.

"Well, I was going to leave you behind...so you would be safe, and well, you can probably guess the other reason..." he said softly, and as expected Sam smacked him, hard, in the chest.

"You stupid, arrogant, deluded, self centred, cowardly bastard!" Sam yelled, furious tears in his eyes as he punched Dean's chest with every word.

"I know Sam. I'm sorry." Dean whispered, and Sam folded his arms.

"You were going to leave me, thinking that you suddenly hated me, and then you were going to go and kill yourself? You ass!" he snapped at him, and Dean hung his head in shame.

"Yeah, come to think of it, I wasn't thinking very clearly." He said in a speculative voice, and he was rewarded when Sam snorted in amusement.

"You think?" he asked, a disbelieving grin on his face.

"Yeah, think so. But you do know right, that I didn't mean any of that stuff?" Dean begged, and Sam nodded, smiling a little.

"Yeah I do. It was me knowing that stuff that made me hit you." He said, and Dean smiled.

"Thanks." He said, and then looked at Sam's face.

"And I'm sorry for smacking you for no reason. I don't cope with you dying well, and I sort of lashed out." He said, and Sam rolled his eyes.

"I know. At everyone. Poor Aimo was crying." He scolded, and for the first time, Dean felt truly awful for upsetting him, after all, the poor little dude was only a kid. But he still felt more upset because of what he had done to Sam.

"Sam, I..." he said, and Sam smiled and shook his head.

"Dean. Shut up." He said fondly as he smiled.

"Ok. But Sam, I really am sorry. About everything." He said, and Sam smiled again.

And then Dean remembered what else had happened, sheepishly remembering what had brought them here.

"Sam...thanks for coming after me." He said, and Sam shook his head, smiling darkly.

"Oh don't thank me, I only came after you so I could kick your ass myself for everything you've done. Oh, and that," he snarled, rapping Dean where it counted, making Dean gasp in pain and his eyes cross in shock, "is for knocking me cold and leaving me behind."

"Ow...ok...deserved that." Dean wheezed in a weak voice, and then he looked up at Sam, hoping his faculties would soon go back to normal, and Dean shook his head sadly.

"And I'm so, so sorry about Diamond. It's all my fault." He said, and Sam shook his head, and Dean hated the tears that appeared in Sam's eyes.

"No it wasn't." He said, his voice a little watery, and Dean looked up at his brother, frowning a little.

"Hey, if it wasn't my fault, it wasn't your fault either." He said, wishing he wasn't tied up so he could comfort his brother properly.

"I slept with her Dean. Pretty much my fault. I sleep with girls, they die." He said sadly, and Dean shook his head, looking at his brother tenderly, wishing he could hug him.

"Sam...listen to me. You aren't cursed. Someone up there just likes to piss on us from a great height, and I get saddled with boatloads of guilt, and you get saddled with crappy endings to relationships. It isn't a curse Sam, it isn't you. This isn't your fault." He said earnestly, and Sam nodded a little, and Dean relaxed, seeing that he was listening to his big brother again.

They sat there in amiable silence for a good while, Sam calming down, and Dean reflecting on everything that had happened, and also thinking of who he would have to make a private apology too. Something made him think that if he didn't apologise to Aimo sharpish, Sam would probably kill him.

Sam looked down at his brother, and he could already tell that had something had changed. He seemed better, somehow, lighter, happier than he had in a very long time. He seemed like Dean had used to be, the cocky smart ass who had been his brother before the hellhounds had ripped him apart.

Dean looked up at his little brother, the man he had become. The one who was still willing to put up with him, even though he must have caused most of his headaches over the past several years. The boy he had effectively raised, the kid he had trained, and the kid he was proud to call his little brother. He smiled. He knew he must have pissed Sam off, but even though it had seemed like their relationship had been repairing since Dillimore, now he finally felt that they truly had become brothers once again.

Took them long enough.

And then he suddenly felt a rush of blood into his hands, and he looked up at Sam in surprise as Sam took off the handcuffs.

"What are you doing?" Dean asked, massaging his wrists, and Sam shrugged.

"I don't know...having faith in my big brother. Trusting that he won't run off to go and get himself killed. Hoping that he has a reason to want to stick around, despite the trouble we're in." He said, not meeting Dean's eyes, afraid of what he would see there if he looked, he didn't want to see the urge for Dean to run and leave him behind.

And then, he felt Dean wrap his arms around him in a hug, Dean holding him tightly to his body.

"I'm staying Sammy." He promised, and Sam smiled, pulling apart from him and grinning.

"You called me Sammy again." He said, happy with that but knowing he shouldn't be, and Dean grinned.

"Yeah I did. Miss me calling you it huh?" he asked, and Sam made a tiny gap between his finger and thumb.

"A tiny tiny little bit." He admitted and Dean laughed.

And then, Sam looked at him questioningly, as though unsure.

"You sure you're staying?" he asked, and Dean nodded.

"I'm not going anywhere Sammy." He said, and Sam sat on the bed beside him, grinning widely.

"Good." He chirped, and Dean grinned as he sat back on the bed with Sam, and immediately got into a fight about who was the best Star Trek captain, Picard or Janeway, Dean pulling Sam into a one armed hug as they did so. And as Sam relaxed into it, Dean knew that everything, someway, somehow, everything was going to be alright.

**That's better!**

**The end was a little mushy, apologies, but I felt Dean owed Sam a big apology for how he's been acting the ass. Though I must say, writing the rant was very gratifying, I wish Sam would give Dean a piece of his mind in the show.  
**

**And poor Sammy has died again! His luck really does suck, not only has he lost the girl he just slept with but he got murdered on top of it. At least Joshua is now gone, but Emily is waiting in the wings.  
**

**And what happened with Missouri? Her actions are going to become important later on actually.  
**

**And we're nearly halfway through the seals (that really is a lousy design, 600 locks, and you only need to break 66? Which genius came up with that bright idea?), but now Raphael is up to no good, is he actually considering an alliance with the other factions to try and stop the Winchesters?  
**

**Next time we shall be getting into the true hunting spirit as we act to try and avert the Apocalypse, kill all the bad guys and save the day, and a risky plan will be ventured as they try to get rid of one of the groups hunting them for good. But, the enemy is also getting fed up of this game of cat and mouse and are preparing their own trap to kill the boys and their allies, so which side will out? And as we get closer to the end, events start to spiral out of control, and even those you wouldnt expect are even now contemplating the most desperate of measures...  
**

**Anyway, hope you're still enjoying, still no idea how long its going to be, but not more than twenty chapters certainly, and we are moving to the finale very quickly now!  
**

**So, as always, please read and leave lots of reviews for me to read in the morning!  
**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural**

Bleeding Storm

"Aww." Jody said fondly as she poked her head into the boys' room to see Sam held in a protective hug by Dean, both of them sleeping soundly.

"Is Cox in here?" Meg asked as she entered the caravan, and Jody pointed to his sleeping form.

"Hey doc, we need you, Missouri isn't doing so good." Meg told him, and frowning, he and Jody followed her from the caravan into the coach.

Missouri indeed didn't look good. When it had become apparent that she wasn't coping very well with what had happened, they had insisted she take the bed on board. But now, she looked even worse, her skin was sweaty, her eyes wide, her hands shaking, and Cox was frankly scuppered as to what might be causing it. She looked at Cox weakly, swatting him away.

"There's nothing you can do, this is a result of what I did to Weston, not anything medicine can cure." She said, and Cox frowned.

"What, are psychics not meant to kill or something?" he asked, and she shook her head.

"Not what I meant. When I took all that anger and hatred and grief from Dean, and used it against Weston, I took more power than I was meant to. If Dean could make his emotions into a weapon, nothing would be able to stop him he carries so much inside. But when I did that, I opened myself up to too many emotions. All this is, is my powers expanding." She explained, and Cox still looked concerned.

"I don't carry anything for that. Are you sure?" he asked, and she nodded.

"Yeah. And I also know that we are in trouble." She said, and Aimo looked at her curiously.

"How much?"

"More than usual. We have big problems. Huge." She said, and Aimo flashed away to gather everyone.

XX

Lilith was not happy with the mess that the Leviathans had made of her home. Messy old creatures, they should be in their Purgatory retirement home where they belonged. She remembered dealing with a couple, back when she had first become a demon. An eclipse had weakened the boundaries between the worlds, and with the world already in chaos due to Michael banishing Lucifer into the cage, the fabric between worlds had become very thin, and as a result, two Leviathans had managed to slip through, the last Leviathans to walk the earth until that idiot Castiel had set the damn things loose. She had hunted them down, following the bloody swath they cut through the first creatures God created, and in a lethal battle had eventually killed the two monsters, sending them back to Purgatory where they belonged.

And now the damn things were loose again, and had destroyed part of her home.

Scowling, she heard a rustling behind her and she turned to see the last person she expected to visit her looking at her, his gaze a mix between respect and contempt.

"Well well Raphael, you're the last person I expected to pay me a booty call. I'm sorry, but I don't sleep with angelic prudes." She said scathingly, and he glared at her.

"I am not here to indulge in sins of the flesh with you Lilith, I am here to talk to you. We have much to discuss." He said, and she arched her eyebrow.

"Really? I can't think of anything that we may have to discuss other than how you eventually plan to have me killed." She said tartly.

Raphael smiled slightly.

"You are aware of my plans for the Apocalypse. And as a result, you know full well what the final seal will need to be broken is. What if I guarantee you it won't happen?" he asked, and she looked at him sceptically.

"The first demon shall be the least seal. That requires me being dead and I have no inclination to do that angel." She said irritably, and he nodded graciously.

"As I can imagine. However, you do not necessarily have to be killed, just as the vessels do not necessarily have to be the Winchesters." He explained, and she looked at him sceptically.

"Really? Well Raphael, it seems like you are cutting corners everywhere with this Apocalypse of yours." She said coldly, and Raphael glowered at her.

"Do not presume to know better than me demon. You may be the new queen of hell, but your powers are still feeble compared to mine." He said confidently, but rather than backing off as he expected, all she did was give him a small smile.

"Are you absolutely sure about that Raphael?" she asked, and he faltered slightly, before strolling around the room, waving his hand to fix the damage done by the fight earlier.

"I was observing the fight. One of the Winchesters died again. Your predecessor resurrected him." He said, and she snarled angrily.

"Yes, Crowley. When I find him, he will pay for that crime, I assure you." She vowed, her fist clenching angrily, as she imagined crushing Crowley's skull like an egg.

"It seems to me that we both have the same problem. The Winchesters." Raphael said, sitting down and facing her as she lay back in her own chair.

"Quite. They are troublesome little creatures aren't they? And you appear here, with an offer of working together to destroy them I presume? I know why you want them dead, you're afraid they could mess up your plans for this mini Apocalypse of yours. But why would I want to work with you?" she asked, and he glowered at her.

"The Apocalypse will be just the same as before, only with different main players. Michael will destroy Lucifer, and as a result, we will enter Paradise." He said, and to his astonishment, Lilith laughed.

"Dear sweet Raphael...your man will lose." She said smugly, and he snorted dismissively.

"Hardly. Michael is the most powerful archangel of all." He said, and she smiled.

"Yes. Problem is, he won't be in his most powerful vessel of all. He will be in his secondary vessel." She said, and he shrugged, unbothered.

"So will Lucifer." He said, and she smiled a little.

"Yes Raphael. But unlike Lucifer, Michael doesn't know everything about Lucifer's other vessel. Consider, poor, dear sweet little Adam has been in the cage for over a millennia now. And he's had Lucifer and Michael using him as a punching bag. Which means, when Michael inhabits him, Lucifer will know exactly where to hit him, because the serpent will have been watching. Adam will not be able to be rebuilt entirely Raphael. He will remember everything, and I strongly doubt that he will be able to cope with the memories of hell the way Sam has. And Lucifer will find the crack, destroy the vessel, and obliterate Michael. Your side is going to lose this cheap reproduction of an Apocalypse of yours Raphael." She hissed in delight, and he glowered at her.

"You don't know what you're talking about demon. I came here for another reason." He said, and she gestured, allowing him to speak.

"The Winchesters are thorns in our side. They could potentially interfere with my plans for the Apocalypse, and whatever you have planned also. Now, despite the arrogant Leviathans and the hunters and those leeching vampires, you and I both know we're the best pieces on this board. So Lilith, I propose...a pairing. We join forces to wipe the Winchesters out, once and for all, before they get in the way of our plans." He said, and she looked at him searchingly.

"My my, you are worried about them aren't you?" she hissed in malicious delight, and he nodded.

"Yes I am. They have a habit of messing up angel's plans after all." He said grumpily, and she conceded that point.

"More than one good plan has been foiled on my side too. So, the high and mighty architect of the Apocalypse, the creator of the Steve Martin Pink Panther version of the end of the world, wants to join forces with little old me?" she asked in delight, and he glowered.

"If you aren't interested Lilith, I'm sure the Leviathans will work with me." He growled, and she smiled.

"And so they will. And so will the hunters that are chasing them. And so will the vampires too." She said significantly, and he looked at her, wondering what she was getting at.

"You want me to work with them all?" he demanded, and she nodded.

"Consider it Raphael. When we caught up to them in that hospital, or in the farmhouse, they were screwed. Problem is, we were all attacking one another along with them and their friends, and as a result, they are still drawing breath." She pointed out, pouring herself another glass of Crowley's whiskey.

"I seem to recall it was you who initiated violent proceedings the first time round Lilith." He said, and she waved her hand dismissively.

"Details. Point is, you need them out the way so you can bring about the Apocalypse seeing as you are determined not to use them and get your side wiped out. I am determined to kill them so that I can cement my claim to the throne, as Crowley's supporters are rallying against me. The hunters are determined to kill them so they can get revenge. The vampires are determined to kill them so that they can avenge the death of their leader, and possibly turn Dean, I'm not sure but I think the second in command has a crush on him. And the Leviathans want him dead because Roman is going to eat their leader, Valente, if he fails again. We all share a common goal my dear Raphael. A common goal that we can all pursue together. And once Dean and his darling little Sammy are both dead, then we laugh, we dance, we kiss, we schmooze, we carry on and go home happy, what do you say, come on?" she asked, and he smiled at her.

"You already have a plan?" he asked hesitantly, and she nodded.

"Yes Raphael I do. Do we have a deal?" she asked, and, looking at her in an intrigued way, he nodded, and shook her outstretched hand, a clap of thunder rolling overhead as they did so.

XX

The entire group had gathered in the coach, and Sam and Dean were sitting opposite Missouri, whose nose was bleeding and she was clutching her head in pain.

"I'm sorry Missouri, there's nothing I can do, it's like your powers are blocking me." Aimo said worriedly, and Marion looked at the young angel curiously.

"Shouldn't you be able to work around that though? You healed me when I had a hole in me, and you can't heal Missouri?" he asked in confusion, and Aimo pouted a little.

"I think it's because her powers are currently expanding, they're like, um, what's the word that Dean used to describe girls to me?" he asked, and all the women looked expectantly at Dean, who gulped, winced and shot Aimo a rueful look.

"Hypersensitive." He admitted reluctantly, and was rewarded for his efforts by a clout in the head from Marge, making Sam grin.

"It's like her powers are reacting to anything I do, I can't get around it, her powers are too out of control at the moment." He said miserably, and Dean then patted his arm.

"It's ok kid. Come on outside ok?" Dean asked, and Aimo shot Sam a slightly worried look, but received a nod from him and followed Dean outside.

"Missouri, can you even hear me?" Sam asked worriedly, looking across at her and she nodded, glaring at him.

"Now don't you be fussing over me now. I'll boot you in the behind." She warned, trying to stem the blood coming from her nose.

He rolled his eyes.

"Look Missouri, I remember what this is like don't I? Demon powers? I remember what they felt like when they were expanding, and I might be able to help." He said, and she looked at him appraisingly before nodding.

"Alright, give me your best shot." She said, rubbing her temples, and he pulled her hands away from her head, holding hands with her on the table.

"Dean used to laugh at me when I did this, especially when he had to do it with me, but it does work. Right. Find a spot on the table and focus on it. Just on the spot, ignore everyone else, and just concentrate all your energy on looking at the spot on the table." He said, still holding her hands, and she did so, nodding a little to indicate that she was.

"Good. Now, close your eyes. Does the pain feel worse?" he asked, his eyes filled with worry, and she nodded.

"Yes, my head's thumping." She moaned, and everyone, even Meg, were watching in intent interest.

"Mine used to as well. Right, think of the spot, only through the spot, see it in your eyes, but without opening them." He said, his voice soft, and Missouri could feel herself getting slightly sleepy.

"Right, I'm doing that." She said, and he squeezed her hands a little.

"Good. Now, while you concentrate on the spot, concentrate on moving the pain out of your head. Imagine the headache, and force it out. Force it into the spot on the table, imagine it leaving you and going into the spot." Sam said, and, thinking it was corny, Missouri did so.

And to her great surprise, she felt a little better.

"Better?" he asked hopefully.

"A little. But what do you do?" she asked, still thinking her pain into the spot.

"I act as a wall, you hopefully don't want to send the pain to me, so I sort of block the pain into the spot. It's a mind over matter sort of thing a nice herbalist taught me. I act as a wall and as a focus, making it easier for you." He explained, and her headache, while it wasn't gone, was slightly better, she could move it without it hurting now.

"Thanks Sam." She said thankfully, and he frowned.

"Sorry, but there's nothing we can do about the nose bleeds, it's the pressure." He said lamely, and Cox handed her some aspirin.

"Best I can do I'm afraid." He said in disappointment.

"What are Dean and Aimo doing?" Garth asked, and Sam smiled.

"Grovelling to him. Now he's made up with me, he's making up with the ones he was a biggest jerk too, and top of that list was the kid." Sam said, and Meg cast him a questioning look.

"Does that mean I'm going to get an apology?" she asked, and Sam snorted.

"Somehow, I doubt it." He said, and she rolled her eyes in irritation.

"You used to let Dean be your guide?" Missouri asked, much preferring her guide, at least he wouldn't snigger or make rude comments when she was doing it.

Sam nodded, smiling wistfully.

"Yeah, he kept putting me off the first few times I did it, and I couldn't do it, even though I had managed with the herbalist. But then one time it was really bad and I collapsed with the pain. Dean went white, didn't even finish his drink at the bar we were at, picked me up and ran home with me in his arms, and sat me on the bed. As soon as I woke up, he took my hands and ordered me to do it, and didn't say a word, all he kept doing was making hushing noises, and telling me I could do it." Sam recounted fondly, and Bobby frowned.

"Those days weren't fun, you were both shit scared, your daddy hadn't long died, the entire thing was a mess." He said darkly, and Sam shot him a half smile.

"And what about our lives usually isn't a mess? We're living in an RV come caravan, we're on the run from every sort of nasty out there, we're still the most wanted men in America by both the natural and supernatural world, the world's about to be swallowed in yet another Apocalypse, and to top it all off, I've died twice in the last three days and Dean's died once since this little adventure of ours began." He said, and Marge suddenly burst out laughing, earning her some strange looks.

"Oh, I'm sorry, just, hearing it all like that really makes you wonder how the hell we're all still going. This is crazy." She said, shaking her head.

"Yeah, and Missouri said she had another bit of bad news for us didn't she?" Garth asked as Dean and Aimo entered, Aimo beaming happily once again, Dean's apology must have gone down a treat.

"So what's the emergency?" Tamara asked, and Missouri frowned.

"I had a vision. And considering I don't usually get them, I took special attention, and believe me, what I saw...not good." She said worriedly, and Dean and Sam exchanged worried glances.

"Some new enemy coming out to get us?" Dean asked.

"Someone dying?" Sam countered, and she shook her head.

"No, but what I saw could easily lead to the latter. All of them, Raphael, Lilith, Gordon, Valente, Emily, all of them shaking hands. Which seems to me like they can only be trying to do one thing: joining forces to take us all out." She said grimly, and the coach went silent.

"As in, not attacking each other, but all of them working together to kill us?" Cox asked, and she nodded.

"Seemed that way." She said, and Cox groaned.

"Just when we think our lives can't get any crappier." Jody complained, but Dean suddenly looked thoughtful, and held up a finger.

"How much did you see of it Missouri?" he asked curiously, earning him a look from Sam, which was hard to place, whether it was interested or irritated.

"A fair bit, why?" she asked.

"Dean..." Sam said warningly, and Dean looked sheepishly at his brother.

"Look Sam, I know you're going to try and block me on this, but if Missouri saw enough we might be able to use it to our advantage." He said, but Sam glowered at him.

"It isn't that Dean, it's the fact that you'll use powers that we don't understand until you decide you don't like them then you'll turn on her." He grumbled, and Dean looked intently at his brother, ignoring all the others.

"Sammy, I know I was a jerk with your powers. I used them, then because they developed when I was in hell and I listened to Cas and everything, I just let that become another thing that split us apart, and I didn't even try to understand what was going on with you. But this isn't like that. We know Missouri isn't a demon." He said, and Jody, who thought he had been doing so well, winced, as she saw the angry flush that spread across Sam's face.

"Oh, so you thought I was a demon?" he demanded, and Dean seemed to realise what he had inadvertently applied.

"No, Sammy, you know I didn't mean it like that. I meant that her powers aren't some unnatural demon food, her powers are natural because she's a psychic. We trust her, and her powers aren't being augmented by Ruby or by some Apocalyptic plan, they're just advancing naturally. I'm not going to turn on her as soon as I get a chance Sammy. I did that once before...and it kinda stunk afterwards." He said, and Sam looked slightly mollified, and Missouri patted his hand.

"Besides, he tries any nonsense with me, I'll whack him one." She assured him, and Sam smiled.

"So how much did you see?" Marion asked, and Missouri frowned.

"Well I saw all of them, but I couldn't see any of their friends, like Featherstone or Grant or anyone, just the leaders." She said, and he nodded.

"Right, but did you see where they were?" he asked, and she shook her head.

"No, but I did see the name of the company, it was one of those big flashy jobs that has it displayed on the wall. Sandover Bridge and Iron Company it was called." She said, and Sam and Dean both looked at her in shock.

"You sure?" Sam asked, and she nodded.

"Yeah, it was like I had entered the room, all of them were shaking hands, and the name was at the back of the room. No idea where it is though if that's what you're wondering." She said, and Dean shook his head.

"You don't need to, we know where it is." He said darkly.

"It's in Ohio." Sam said, not liking the thought that they would have to go back there.

"You boys know an Ohio company off the top of your head?" Marge asked, and Dean shook his head.

"No. Firstly, we banished a ghost there. And secondly, it was where we met Zachariah for the first time. The son of a bitch wiped our memories and stuck as middle class pencil pushers at that crappy firm to make us realise we were hunters, and basically to encourage me to stop whining about hell and get my finger out my ass and try and save the world." He grumbled.

"Wow...must be the first time Zachariah and I ever agreed on something." Sam said with a slight smile, and Dean elbowed him in the ribs, grinning a little.

"He's the one we killed right, after he murdered you?" Jody asked Sam, who nodded.

"Yeah. So, they're all in Ohio are they? Any indication of when it was?" Dean asked, getting back to business, and she shook her head.

"None." She said apologetically, but Meg then leaned forward.

"She doesn't necessarily need one. Since Lilith has declared herself queen of hell again, there will be demons around the building when she moves in, she has an army now. We just wait for demons to show up, and then we torture one until they tell us what we need to know." She suggested, and Garth nodded.

"Sounds like a good plan, but how do we go around checking for demons?"

Aimo smiled and shook his head.

"You'll have me, you won't need to, I can identify them just by looking at them. And if Raphael is going to be there, I should be able to sense when he appears too, theoretically without him finding me." He said, and Dean grinned.

"So, we know when the two biggest players will be there, and we know what sort of van the vampires had right? So all we need to do is find some way to find out if Emily got herself a new car and what car the big mouths have, and then once we find that out, we wait for them all to assemble." He said, and Sam grinned.

"And then we take them all down." He said, and as such, they began to plan their attack.

XX

"Why this place?" Lilith asked as they entered the conference room of Sandover Bridge and Iron Company.

"It is a useful company, a front for our activities." Raphael said, and she looked at him in surprise.

"Alright, I get why demons need to takeover companies, and I even appreciate why Leviathans do, but why do angels need a front for their activities? Don't you just find some willing sap, get them to say yes and let you in and take over their lives?" she asked, and he smiled grimly.

"Yes, that is partly it. But, even though we take over their lives sometimes we do have to borrow other forms temporarily, and even the poorest people can be the most faithful. So, when we inhabit one of them, we need funds to carry out our plans, just like you demon." He said, and she sniffed.

"Have you located the big mouths?" she asked, and he nodded.

"Yes, and I sent Apronia and Virgil with the invitation." He said.

"Do you think they'll attend?" she asked, and he shrugged.

"I don't know. I suspect they might though. The one they have in charge of hunting the Winchesters has failed thus far, and he will be eager to make it up to their leader. The vampires won't have a choice and neither will the hunters." He said confidently, sitting down at the head of the table, and she sat to his right.

"I trust there will be no problem with my plan?" she asked, and he frowned.

"I don't see why there would be, at least with the initial aspect of it. However, how do you know the plan will work? After all, what makes you even think that your assassins will be able to kill them?" he asked, and she picked up a sheet of paper and a pen from the centre of the table, and sketched a small symbol on it.

"Do you know what this is?" she asked, and he peered at it.

"Of course I know what it is, but how does it help us?" he asked, and she smiled.

"Simple. We use this, you get what you want, I get what I want, and we both get what we want, they won't be able to stop themselves." She said with malice.

"And then?" he asked, and she drew another symbol, and he nodded, smiling grimly.

"I see. I like the way you think Lilith." He said and she smiled.

"Good. So, shall we get on with this?" she asked, and he nodded.

"I suppose we ought to. After all, if we are to stop the Winchesters, who better an assassin than their loved ones?" he asked darkly, and after looking at each other reluctantly, they joined hands.

XX

They made their way to Ohio, going over the plan time and again. The atmosphere was tense as they approached the building, Sam and Dean, with Dean driving the coach and his little brother where he could keep an eye on him, both glaring up at the building as they drove on past.

"I don't understand how you humans think these things make you see better." Aimo grumbled as he used a pair of binoculars, and Tamara grinned.

"Aimo, sweetie, the work the other way round." She said kindly, and Aimo put the eyepieces to his eyes and grinned.

"Hey, they do work! Hey, I can see those two people do what Sam and Diamond were doing...what is that?" he asked curiously, and Sam went red in the passenger seat.

"We'll tell you when you're older." He said, ignoring Dean's smirk as they found a park not far from the building and parked there, ready to go as soon as possible.

"Alright. So we can assume that if Missouri is right about this big ass meeting, we can also assume that their goons are going to be there too." Marge said as they all clustered around the table.

"So, what do we do? You two head up to see to the big bads and the rest of us deal with the little bads?" Garth asked, and Sam shrugged.

"I'd rather not split up, but if I remember rightly there's nearly twenty floors. If the angels are behind this, then they're probably going to be showing off to intimidate the other groups, so they're most likely going to be on the top floor, so we're going to have to go through nearly everything in the way on the way up. And the entrance is going to be heaving guarded too." He said worriedly, and Aimo looked at him excitedly.

"I can help!" he said, and Sam smiled.

"I know you can. Problem is, Virgil might be there, and no offense buddy, but you're a lot smaller than he is." He pointed out and Aimo pouted a little.

"Alright. There's thirteen of us, so why don't we have someone staying here as designated getaway driver, then split into four groups of three or vice versa?" Marion asked, and they nodded.

"Alright. Four groups of three. Sammy, me and Bobby, we'll go and look for the big bads. Aimo, you, Garth and Marge can handle anyone standing around outside, and the rest of you will follow us inside, and split off if we get ambushed." Dean said, and Cox looked around.

"Who's getting gets driver duty?" he asked, and Missouri looked at him.

"Well, it should either be me or you. I'm not exactly firing on all cylinders at the moment, and it's handy to have a doctor around, so what do you want to do?" she asked, and he nodded with determination.

"I want to fight." He said, and she nodded.

"Alright, fine, I stay behind and get us out of there if things get woolly. You going to go off all hellbent on revenge?" Lilith asked, and he looked at her sheepishly.

"No, but that isn't to say I'm not going to kill the bitch if I get a chance. We go in there, we try and take down as many of the bad guys as possible." He said, and Marge nodded.

"Agreed. But no heroics, we get in, we get the bad guys, we get out." She said sternly, and Dean nodded.

"Alright, let's keep an eye on the place. Someone can keep watch here, and someone can keep a watch over there, see what we can see. But no engaging them until tomorrow." He said, and Garth looked at him questioningly.

"Ok, but do we have a specific target?" he asked, and Dean shrugged.

"Not really. Just kill as many as you can, the fewer we have to deal with the better." He said, and Sam looked up at the building where the meeting was meant to take place.

"Dean, have you thought about how we're even going to contemplate taking out this lot?" he asked, and Dean grinned.

"Funny you should say that, I have." He said with a teasing look at Sam, and Sam groaned.

"Alright, what hare brained scheme have you got in mind this time?" he asked.

"We're going to take a leaf out of your favourite Batman character's book. And no, I don't mean Catwoman." He said teasingly, and Sam glowered at him.

"Hey, you promised not to mention that!" he whined, as everyone looked at him.

"Sorry Sammy." He said, and Sam wanted to hit him, but being the better man, he just decided to get his own back instead.

"At least Catwoman was a believable villain. You like Poison Ivy, I'll take Michelle Pfeifer dressed in plastic over Uma Thurman playing a bad act in a bad film any day." He retaliated, and Dean glowered.

"Hey, I liked Batman and Robin!"

"I rest my case. What do you mean, we'll take a leaf out of a Batman character's book?" he asked.

"I mean the Joker." Dean said, and couldn't help but smile as he saw the hesitant look cross Sam's face.

He supposed it was his own fault. After he had found out Sam was terrified of clowns, the next Halloween when they had been staying in a motel for a while, long enough to make friends, he had dressed as the Joker and leapt out at Sam, terrifying him. He'd paid for it later, his father had clouted him on the head because Sam was terrified of clowns leaping out at him and wouldn't sleep, and Sam hadn't talked to him for days afterwards, pointedly laving the room every time he entered it.

"Jerk." Sam mumbled, and Bobby rolled his eyes.

"Alright you pair, don't make me separate you. What do you mean Dean? And what version of the Joker?" he asked in interest.

"The one that had my twenty nine year old brother leap across the bed and huddle up to me." Dean said widely, and regretted it as Sam kicked him in the knee so hard his eyes started to water.

"You know, I hope the Leviathans eat you." Sam said grumpily, crossing his arms defiantly and looking away from his brother, ignoring the smirks of everyone else.

"What do you mean?" Garth asked, and he grinned.

"You'll see. Missouri, you reckon you can recognise the room if you saw it?" he asked, and she nodded.

"Yeah why?"

"Because we're going to arrange a little surprise for them." He said, and Sam looked at him in concern as he grinned.

XX

"I must admit, I admire your ruthless streak demon." Raphael said as the two of them sat in the penthouse suite that they had hired.

"As you should. So, we are agreed on our new guards?" she asked, and he nodded.

"And your plan?" he asked, making sure she was ready, and she nodded, rolling her eyes as she did so.

"Ys Raphael, the plan will work perfectly well, provided your angel does her job. We will move in the morning." She said, and he nodded.

"Very well. The Winchesters are in the city." He said, sensing a black spot in his perceptions.

"I know. Good. Makes it all the easier to kill them. But it seems to me that the two of them have an irritating habit of escaping. So, I'm going to go and arrange a contingency." She said, and before he could say anything she was gone.

"The sooner I'm free of that blasted demon the better." He grumbled, as Virgil appeared beside him.

"Thirty nine seals broken my lord, and I know the traitor Aimo is around her somewhere." He reported, and Raphael nodded.

"I shall break the fortieth tomorrow. Take up position in the building. I don't want any unexpected surprises." He ordered, and Virgil nodded before vanishing.

XX

"Hi, I'm Agent Tom, this is Agent Jerry, this kid is a witness and this is his minder, uh, Mississippi, we heard of a big meeting here tomorrow and my Sandover asked us to look the place over." Dean said to the sleepy night porter who they had woken up when they entered, and Sam struggled to keep a straight face until they passed the guard, before he broke out in laughter.

"Tom and Jerry?" he demanded and Dean shrugged.

"Come on Sammy, he was half asleep, I could have called us Agents Osama and Bin Laden and it wouldn't have twigged." He said, and then he saw the dirty look Missouri was giving him.

"Mississippi?" she demanded, and he shrugged.

"Hey, I was originally going to call you Agent Spike but it didn't seem to fit somehow." He said, and she slapped him in the back of the head.

"Is this some human thing?" Aimo asked curiously, and Dean nodded, rubbing his head.

"Yeah it was a cartoon about a cat and mouse who kept fighting, we'll try and find some for you to watch." He said, as they climbed the building, taking notes of choke points or anywhere it would be easy to lay an ambush the following night.

Dean and Missouri were out of breath by the time they reached the top set of floors, making Sam grin at his brother.

"Hey, maybe you ought to eat less burgers." He said, and Dean glowered at him as he clutched a stitch in his side.

"Remind me to kick you up the ass when I get my breath back." He growled, and Sam and Aimo grinned at each other, once more climbing the last few sets of stairs, and coming to a stop on the final floor as Missouri exclaimed in triumph.

"That's it, that's the room." She said, and with a wiggle of his fingers, Aimo got them in.

"So what now?" he asked curiously.

"You flash back to the coach and get the stuff we got earlier, and bring Meg too. We need to demon proof them as well." Dean said, and the angel was gone.

"You realise this will only hurt everyone other than Emily?" he asked, and Dean nodded.

"Yeah, but if we need to make a quick getaway you'll thank me for it. Reckon I should dress up as the Joker for it?" Dean asked with a grin, and Sam shot him a nasty grin in return.

"You know, we are twenty odd levels up. I'd hate to see how much of a mess you would be if you happened to accidentally fall out of a window if I stumbled into you." He said in a warning voice, as Aimo and Meg appeared, Meg with several cartons of fertiliser.

"Alright, can I stop holding these now? I can't believe you got a ghost to program these bombs." She said, and Dean grinned, pulling a hacksaw out from his suit pocket, and gesturing Sam towards the table.

"Let's get this going. If this is going to be any use at all, then we better get out before anyone realises we've been in here for too long, and even sleepy downstairs can't stay asleep forever." He said, cutting a hole right above the first chair, Sam, Meg, Aimo and Missouri following suit as they got to work.

An hour later they were done, all evidence of it being hidden by Aimo and their efforts hidden from the most powerful beings in the room by Aimo and Meg's ministrations, and they walked down casually, saluting the bleary eyed night porter as they passed, and went out into the square that led to the parking spaces.

Only to be met by a grinning angel.

"Well well well, if it isn't the filthy little traitor Aimo." Virgil said revealing his sword as he stalked towards them.

Aimo froze slightly as he saw Raphael's assassin approaching him, and Sam stood in front of him protectively, while Dean stood in front of him.

"Back off featherbrain." Dean said, pulling the scythe from his waistband as Sam withdrew the angel sword.

"The Winchesters. You escaped me the last time we encountered each other. A mistake I will not repeat again." He said, and vanished, before appearing behind Meg, blade swooping down to puncture her stomach.

Meg spun, raising her leg to kick him in the chin, sending the angel staggering backwards as she spun around, delivering a roundhouse kick right into his stomach. The sword flew from his hand, and Sam turned to Aimo.

"Get out of here, go!" he ordered, and Aimo sent them a desperate look.

"Aimo, go, it'll be alright, we'll be there in a minute!" Dean yelled, pushing the angel away as Virgil went straight for Sam.

Missouri got to the angel first however, her hands clutching his face and he yelled as she poured her own resentment and anger into him, burning his face. Sam angled for the angel's throat with the blade, just as Meg punched onto him, holding him still while Sam went forward to destroy the angel.

Giving a cry of frustration, he vanished, and before he came back for the next round, Aimo grabbed the others and they flashed back to the safety of the coach.

XX

"They must have done something within the building." Raphael cursed, and Lilith looked at him, unconcerned.

"And so what if they have? Either way, they won't escape, nothing will prevent them from dying this time, not even that fool Crowley. And what can they really do that will hurt us? The only ones they can conceivably kill with whatever they have planned are the hunters and with a bit of luck the vampires. Learn to relax angel." She said derisively, and he glowered at her.

"Mark my words, they have done something." He growled, and she shrugged.

"Consider them marked. Now why don't you relax and gather your strength? After eluding you for so long, you wouldn't wish to be tired when we finally corner them would you?" she asked, and Raphael glared at her retreating form.

The sooner the Winchesters were dead the better. Because that was the sooner he could incinerate her.

XX

The group was tense all morning. Virgil's little ambush the night before had rattled Aimo in particular, and while Jody tried to calm him down, Sam had to admit he was worried too.

"Dean, he saw us, and I bet the first thing he did was go and tell Raphael that we were there." He said, and Dean shrugged.

"So what, it isn't as if they can see anything. They won't know about the bombs." He said, and Sam sighed.

"That isn't all that bothers me Dean. If he knows we were there, he probably knows we're planning on attacking, which means they could make the place a fortress." He said, but Marion shook his head.

"That would be unwise." He said, and the boys looked at him questioningly.

"How do you figure that?" Dean asked, and Marion took a piece of paper, writing down each faction they were facing.

"This is a meeting to discuss a truce right? Stop trying to kill each other so they can kill us instead?" he asked, and they both nodded.

"And all the sides have in common one thing: they would happily slaughter all the other sides including us." He said, and Dean frowned.

"What you getting at?" he asked, but Sam's eyes lit up.

"If Raphael and Lilith are trying to get all the forces to work together, they can hardly go summoning entire armies of demons and angels. Besides, the angels are busy breaking seals, and Lilith is hardly going to send up an army of demons, first off, so many people standing around will attract attention she could do without, and secondly her grip on hell must still be dodgy, she can't risk losing demons in great numbers." He said, and Marion nodded.

"Exactly. And they're all on relatively equal footing of people they have left too, and it could disturb negotiations if they try and outclass any of the other groups by having big groups too." He added thoughtfully, and Dean grinned.

"See Sammy, nothing to worry about. Come on Bobby, I've dealt with Sam's objections, what about yours?" he asked to the room.

And he received no reply.

"Bobby?" Dean asked, checking to make sure he had the flask, which he did.

"Bobby?" Sam called, once more receiving no response.

"Where is he? I thought he was bound to his flask?" Marion asked, and Dean nodded.

"He is. So where the hell is he?" he asked, calling for Bobby, who once more did not return.

There was no sign of Bobby anywhere, and Dean even summoned him to try and make him appear, and began to panic slightly when he didn't.

"Could someone have...banished him?" Jody asked worriedly, but Sam shook his head.

"No, they would have had to destroy the flask to do it, so where the hell is he?" he demanded, his own worry increasing.

Aimo suddenly cocked his head, frowning.

"Hang on." He said, and vanished, leaving everyone in the room looking at each other in confusion, which was further increased when Aimo reappeared, Bobby in tow.

"Finally! Where the hell have you been?" Dean demanded, and Bobby raised his hand.

"Hang on, and see what I can do." He said and picked up a small knife and poked his hand with it.

And to their great surprise, he bled.

"What the hell?" Dean asked slowly, looking at the red blood that was coming from his hand.

"You're...alive?" Jody demanded, and he nodded.

"Seem to be. Don't ask me how though. One minute I was standing watch, next thing I know I'm in New Jersey standing in the middle of the field you boys cremated me in." He said, looking to Dean and Sam, who were looking at each other hesitantly.

"So you've been resurrected?" Meg asked suspiciously, and he nodded.

"Yeah. Trust me, I'm as confused as you are." He said, and Dean took a hesitant step forward, smiling a little but Sam put a hand on his shoulder.

"Sam..." Dean growled angrily, and Sam looked at him suspiciously.

"How do we know you're really Bobby?" he asked, and while Dan glowered at him, Bobby smiled slightly.

"Good lad Sam. He isn't rushing in to believe in a good thing Dean, he's doing the right thing, checking me out. First time you ever stayed with me, you were about three. You boys were playing hide and seek in the junkyard and you fell and started crying. Dean was in such a hurry to get to you he fell and smacked his head on a used car, knocked himself out, and you were screaming so loudly that you had killed your brother that you managed to break a car window before I came running." He recounted, and Sam and Dean both smiled, remembering that, Dean remembering how Sam, despite being only three and barely the size of Bobby's knee at the time had helped him masterfully with patching Dean up, and had even tucked Dean in at his own bed time to make sure he was alright, and even sacrificed his teddy so Dean could cuddle it to feel better.

"Alright, so he's clearly human, clearly has his marbles, so are we believing it's him or not?" Marge asked, looking at the wistful expressions on the faces of the boys.

"Hang on. How many parking fines do you owe?" Jody asked, and he frowned as he thought about it.

"One hundred and forty four." He said proudly, and the others looked at him in shock.

"One hundred and forty four unpaid tickets? You're getting lax Jody." Marion scolded, and she glowered at him and Bobby.

"One hundred and forty five actually. Your van got one the day the boys drove it back after you died, they double parked it and came to find me to tell me. By the time they tracked me down there was another one in the system." She said in amusement, and Bobby chuckled as Sam and Dean wrapped him in a hug.

"Aww get off me you two edjits, I've still been here, just not entirely normal." He protested, and Dean grinned.

"Yeah, but now you're you again." He said happily, and while Sam was smiling, he was also looking slightly worried.

"Yeah, but how is he him again?" he asked, and Dean turned to glower at Sam.

"Sam, he's alive, isn't that what matters?" he demanded angrily, and Sam looked at him reproachfully, but to their surprise it was Jody who answered.

"No it isn't. Remember, my son was alive again and look what he did to his father." She said grimly, and Dean went quiet, his mouth gaping, and he sent a look of apology to her and his brother.

"I don't feel any desire to murder you all if that's what you're wondering. Well aside from the boys but that's my usual feeling." He said, and turned to find Aimo and Meg peering at him curiously.

"What do you see kid?" she asked, wondering if he saw what she saw.

"Lots of different magic intermingled, I can't make it out. There's angel stuff there, but that was probably me. There's ghost energy, probably left over from him being a ghost. There's human magic too." He commented, squinting, and Dean looked at him curiously.

"human magic?"

"Love." Aimo said with a small grin.

"Wait, you can see love?" Sam asked, and he nodded.

"Yes, it's one of the things I like most about looking at humans. Looking at you two when you get all mushy is like looking right at the sun." He said, and both boys went red as he continued his examination.

"There's demon stuff too right?" he asked, and Meg nodded.

"The kid's right, there's too much magic around him to accurately tell who brought him back, his other resurrections are messing up the image. There's also black icky stuff too, looks Leviathan." She sneered, and Sam shook his head.

"Won't be, it'll be Eve and the khan worm." He said, and she shrugged.

"So we don't know who resurrected him?" Garth asked, and Meg shook his head.

"No. Which could bite us in the ass." She said, and Tamara frowned.

"Well who could? Crowley?" she asked, and Meg nodded.

"Yeah but I don't see why he would. Unless you've suddenly learned to resurrect?" Meg asked Aimo, who shook his head.

"No, I can't even make flowers look pretty again after they wither." He lamented.

"Or if not Crowley, it could be Raphael or Lilith." Reynolds said, and that was a possibility.

"Or it was god." Dean said quietly, and Sam turned to Dean, a tender expression in his eyes.

"Dean..." he said softly, but Reynolds cut him off.

"Wait, god actually exists?" he demanded, and Dean nodded.

"Yeah, he does. He's pretty lousy though, buggered off and left his kids to run the place, and they decided they wanted to smash it up, and that was only after he kicked out his second kid just because he disagreed with him." He explained.

"Sounds a little familiar." Marion said, looking at the boys, and Sam smiled grimly.

"Yeah, that's why they made us Michael and Lucifer's vessels." He said, making Marion frown.

"How do you know so much about our lives anyway?" Dean demanded, and Bobby shrugged.

"My bad. It came up when Sam was dead and Zachariah was making you lose your marbles." He said, and Dean rolled his eyes.

"So, what do we do? Accept it, yay or nay?" Tamara asked, looking at Bobby.

"Accept it. Look Sam," he said in response to Sam opening his mouth, "just this once is it too much to hope for that something will go our way?" he demanded, and Sam shook his head going quiet.

"Hey, don't you get pissy with him just because he's being cautious. But, seeing as we don't know what's what, we might as well get on with things." Bobby said, giving Sam a glance that indicated he should take his brother outside, which when everyone got back to their planning, he did.

"What Sam?" Dean asked irritably, and Sam looked at him sadly.

"I just...don't want you to get hurt. I don't want you to get your hopes up." He said, and Dean glowered at him.

"Well don't piss on them then." He said snarkily, and Sam fought down a little feeling of hurt.

"Dean, I'm just trying to look out for you. You know what happened when that Crocotta impersonated dad, you got your hopes up then too, and I don't want to see you going through that again." He said, and Dean's expression softened a little bit.

"Can't we just hope that he came back for something other than a mindfuck organised by Raphael or Lilith?" he asked sadly, and Sam nodded.

"Of course we can. But we have to be careful too." He said, and Dean grunted.

"So you don't think it was someone on our side?" he asked, his voice tense and he wasn't looking at Sam.

"I hope it was. But it could be a bad guy being up to something." Sam said hesitantly.

"Are you even glad he's back?" Dean asked, and Sam flinched.

"How can you even ask that? Just because you're the one he's closer too doesn't mean I don't love him too." He snapped, hurt at his brother's words, and Dean turned to his brother, seeing the angry expression in his eyes and sighed.

"I know Sammy. I'm sorry I asked." He said, but Sam was already too mad.

"But yeah I forgot, you're the only one who has emotions that matter. Sit out here and sulk if you want." He growled, going back into the coach and slamming the door behind him.

Dean sighed and supposed he better let Sam cool off before he went and grovelled again. The last time this had happened, with the crocotta, he had alienated Sam then too by believing so strongly that their father had come back to him. And despite everything, he had just done it again.

"He's just being sensible. Which if I were in your position and you were in mine, I would be doing the exact same thing." Bobby scolded as he came out of the coach.

"I know. Why's it so wrong that I just want to believe something good has happened for a change?" Dean asked sourly, and Bobby sighed sadly.

"Because it usually does go wrong Dean." He said, clapping his shoulder as the two of them stood outside the coach, enjoying each other's silent company.

XX

"It isn't that I'm not happy you're back Bobby, it's just..." Sam said, his eyes downcast, and Bobby rolled his eyes.

"Now don't you go explain yourself to me. I know what you're doing and between you and me, you're being the smart one about this. I'm not going to take it personally." He assured the younger Winchester, and Sam smiled a little at him.

"I really am glad you're back." He said, and Bobby smiled.

"Yeah me too. Oh it feels good to have my gun back again." He said cheerfully, caressing his long inactive rifle lovingly.

"Sammy?" Dean asked softly, and pulled Sam into the driver's area while the others got ready to go.

"What?" Sam asked sullenly, glowering at his brother.

"I'm sorry. I know you love Bobby too, and I know I'm being pissy with you when I shouldn't be, you're just being sensible. I shouldn't have said what I did, it's just...I want to believe he's back for good so badly Sammy. And you're there, being cautious, reminding me that it might not all be sunshine and rainbow farting unicorns, and I don't know, I'm just resenting it." He said irritably, and Sam shrugged.

"I know. And I'm sorry Dean, but I just don't want to see you setting yourself up for a fall again." He said sadly, and Dean smiled a little.

"Yeah, I know you are." He said fondly, stroking a stray hair behind his brother's ear.

"Jerk." Sam said ruefully, smiling a little.

"Bitch." He teased back, then scooted Sam out to join the others in getting ready.

XX

The room was silent as the faction leaders looked at each other. Raphael, Lilith, Gordon, Emily and Valente, all trapped in the same room together, all suppressing the very real urge to slaughter the other.

"You know why we are all here. We have a common enemy, one who is threatening everything we try to do." Raphael said, and Emily glared.

"Yeah a common enemy who keeps coming back. Can't you control your demons?" she sneered at Lilith, who flexed her hand, wishing nothing more than to incinerate her.

"Crowley isn't mine. And I can't find him either, he knows where to hide from me." She admitted resentfully.

"The fault of the continued existence of the Winchesters is of little concern to any of us. What is important is that they are both still breathing and getting in the way." Raphael said, and Valente licked his lips nervously.

"And you propose we all work together to kill them?" he asked, and Raphael nodded.

"I do. After all, you, me and Lilith all have plans that require their deaths, and Gordon and Emily here just require their deaths." He said, and Gordon hissed.

"I had killed Dean, and you were the one who brought him back." He pointed out, and Lilith also glowered at the angel.

"You also resurrected Sam after I made Dean kill him. If you hadn't resurrected them we wouldn't be here now I come to think of it." She hissed.

Raphael glowered at the two of them, wanting nothing more than to obliterate them.

"An oversight, I didn't have my hands on what I needed. I do now. As such, they can both die and it will be permanent." He said, and Gordon looked at him.

"And how do we know that?" he asked, and Emily smiled coolly, joining in the attack.

"They have a point. Lilith can't control her demons, and you have an angel in their camp." Valente said, and Raphael and Lilith both shared exasperated looks.

"The angel is of no threat, he can't resurrect anyone, he is too young."

"And as for my demons, I have them under control, the only problem is I can't find Crowley, and I can't find Crowley until I finish off the Winchesters." She sneered angrily.

"And why did you need them before?" Emily asked Raphael, and the entire meeting devolved into chaos.

XX

They attacked out of nowhere, Sam, Dean and Bobby leading the charge, guns firing at the demons who were acting as a guard to the building. Marge, Garth and Aimo split off from the group, Aimo sending out a burst of light that blasted away two demons from their bodies. As they tackled the demons, the others barged through the front doors, panicking the sleeping security guard as Cox shot holy water at the assembled demon guards, allowing them to run right through the ground floor, getting to the stairwell and climbing it two at a time.

"Whoa, should have gone to the gym or something before I agreed to do this." Bobby growled as he followed Sam and Dean up the steps.

The door to the twelfth floor banged open, revealing the angel Mary, along with Grant and Vance.

"We'll deal with them." Tamara said, rushing at them headlong, backed up by Marion and Meg, forcing them into the floor and allowing the others to continue to climb the stairs.

They got to the eighteenth floor before they were stopped by Apronia, Tammi and Featherstone, and Cox, Jody and Reynolds forced them back, allowing the others to get to the top floor unhindered.

"You ok Bobby?" Sam asked as the old man and Dean were wheezing.

"Just a little winded. You ought to be in better shape boy." Bobby scolded Dean, who glowered at him.

"At least I wasn't a ghost recently." He said, motioning for Sam to enter the top floor that led to the conference room.

And then he abruptly stopped, his face pale, his breath catching in his throat.

"Sammy?" Dean asked worriedly, entering the floor with Bobby in tow.

"Hello boys." Ellen said sadly, standing beside Jo as she appeared out of the shadows.

"We really don't want to do this son." John said, stepping out of the darkness from behind them.

"How ya doing Bobby?" Rufus asked, appearing from thin air.

"Um, guys..." Dean said nervously, putting a protective arm up in front of Sam, who was tensed beside him.

"Dad?" Sam asked in surprise, and John nodded grimly.

"Yes son. It's me." He said, stepping closer to Sam, and Dean, feeling something was badly wrong, pushed Sam back protectively.

"Rufus...what did John mean when he said you didn't want to do this?" Bobby asked, readying his shot gun.

"He meant kill you Bobby. Properly too I might add. It's a right bummer, I've got a date tonight, the last thing I want to be doing is killing an old friend, even if he did kill me." He lamented, and Dean looked up at their father worriedly.

"Wait, dad, you don't want to kill us!" he yelped, his instincts torn, this was their father, how could he want to kill them?

"Of course we don't want to kill you honey." Ellen said, as she advanced on the surrounded boys.

"Then why do it?" Sam asked, his eye on his brother as he looked in fear at their father.

"Because we have no choice." Another voice said, and Sam froze as he beheld Jessica coming towards him, her smile sad and loving at the same time.

"And why don't you have a choice?" Bobby asked, raising his gun towards Jo worriedly.

"Yeah, why do you suddenly want to kill us?" Dean demanded of their father, whose eyes were hard, angry, disappointed and also slightly sad, and he couldn't tell if it was their real father or something else entirely.

"Because of this." Ellen whispered, pulling up her sleeve.

To reveal a strange mark, and Bobby looked at it, looked at Dean who was staring in apprehension at his father, at Sam who was staring, his heart tearing, at his fiancé, and cursed.

"Balls. Boys...they don't have a choice." He said darkly, gulping as they advanced.

"How not?" Dean asked, his voice slightly high.

"Because they've been marked. With the mark of the Witnesses. That bastard Raphael has broken another seal." Bobby said worriedly, and Jessica nodded.

"Yes. We are the Witnesses now, come to pass judgement on you all." She said, her eyes turning hard as she looked at Sam, approaching sinisterly.

"Sammy?" Dean asked worriedly, feeling Sam's back pressing into his.

"Dean..." Sam whispered in response, as Bobby looked around.

John, Ellen, Jo, Rufus and Jessica. All witnesses. And that damn angel had set them loose for one reason only: to immobilise the boys and kill them with the ones they loved.

"Balls." He grumbled, preparing his gun as their loved ones got closer, their eyes going hard and angry as they advanced, ready to kill all three of them.

**Well who was expecting that? I certainly wasnt, it struck me as a good idea earlier, so here you are.  
**

**So, a lot has happened. The bad guys are joining forces, Raphael has broken another seal by calling the witnesses, and Bobby is alive once again!  
**

**So, to those of you who wanted to see Ellen, Jo and Rufus, surprise! I didnt intend for them to be in this story originally, but when this idea came to me it became rather obvious to put them in.  
**

**But, what will happen? Will they still be them, or will the witnesses be fiddled with by Raphael and Lilith, who are clearly a nasty threat when joined together? And daddy Winchester is back, and I will say now that I have very little tolerance for him, so apologies if I wind up bashing him next chapter.  
**

**And then of course, there are still other questions to answer? How was Bobby brought back and by who? Will Missouri's powers continue to develop? And with the boys cornered by the witnesses, what will this mean for the attack?  
**

**Next chapter we find out some answers, Dean makes a final choice, Lilith's contingency is revealed, and there are deaths to come! Also, Crowley is back next chapter and he isnt doing very well. Oh, and we also find out what present Sam got Dean at long last (I kind of forgot about it for a while, but it makes an appearance next chapter!)  
**

**So, hope you're enjoying as always, and please as always, read and leave lots of reviews! Oh and sorry it wasnt updated yesterday, I was catching up on Voyager and got sidetrcked along the road, but next chapter will hopefully be up tomorrow!  
**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural (good thing too considering how mean I am to these boys)**

Bleeding Storm

Jess gave a vicious screech, slamming her hand into Sam's sternum as she did so, knocking Sam back.

"Jess, what?" Sam asked weakly, just before Jo took his legs out from under him, sending him to the ground with a thud.

"Dean. What am I going to do with you?" John asked, advancing on his son, and Dean looked at Sam worriedly, as Sam kicked up at Jo, knocking her away from him.

"Dad, this isn't you, you don't want revenge against us, we didn't kill you..." he said, and John scoffed.

"No you didn't. But it was your worthless hide I died to save, and you couldn't even do the job I gave you. I told you to kill Sam. You couldn't. You always were a disappointment Dean. Sam was always the better one. You drove him away because he was fed up of you." John said, and Dean shook his head defiantly.

Rufus sighed as he approached Bobby.

"You know, we don't want to do this Bobby, but we have no choice. They raised us to stop you." He said grimly, and Bobby narrowed his eyes.

"Yeah, but they did something to John and Jess, what the hell did they do to them?" he asked worriedly as Rufus advanced on him.

"It's something to do with how long they've been gone. And that girl, well, she seemed to blame Sam even before she came on down here." He said grimly, before swinging his fist at Bobby.

"Jess, what are you doing?" Sam demanded as she slapped him in the face, hard.

"Getting revenge against you! I was young, I wanted a life, a job, a family, but you came along and ruined it all!" she hissed, crashing her foot into Sam's gut, as Ellen tackled him, knocking him off balance.

"Sam, we don't want to do this." She said, slamming him into the wall, making him gasp with surprise.

"Then why do it?" Sam asked weakly, and Jo showed him a mark on her arm.

"We're being compelled to. The mark of the witnesses, Raphael is controlling us." She explained as she threw a knife at him, which he had to dive out of the way to avoid.

"But Jess..." Sam said, and she leapt down at him, punching him in the face.

"I loved you, and look where it got me! Slit open like a pig, burning on the ceiling, and you didn't even have the decency to stay, to try and help! I died because of you and your damn destiny Sam! How could you do that to me?" she shrieked, and sliced his neck with a knife, making him gasp in pain before he flipped her off the top of him.

"Jess, I swear, I didn't mean for that to happen, I didn't know what would happen, I should have told you who I was..." Sam said, and she smacked her fist into his chin, knocking him backwards and she spat down at him as she got back to her feet.

"Damn right you should have, it was because of you that I died! If you'd just told me who you were, I could have escaped, left you like the freak you are!" she roared, kicking him in the stomach.

"Now Rufus, don't do anything rash now." Bobby said, and Rufus smiled a little.

"Believe me Bobby, I don't want to. I'm meant to be on a date with a very nice reaper tonight and instead I've been brought here to try and kill you. Sucks to be both of us tonight." He said grimly, flinging a knife right at Bobby's head.

"Dad, this isn't really you..." Dean said, as John again smashed him in the gut, laughing as he did so.

"Do you have any idea how difficult it was to refrain from smashing your brother's brains all over the sidewalk? After all, this is all his fault. Can you imagine how much better off the world would be if he had never been born Dean? You'd have had a mom, friends, a childhood." John said idly, and Dean looked frantically to his little brother, to see the sad look on his face, and his blood immediately boiled.

"A world without him is hell." Dean said and kicked up at his father.

Jo pounced on Bobby, smashing him into the wall, and allowing Rufus to swing in and smack him in the gut. While Bobby wheezed, trying to get his breath back, Ellen stomped down on Sam, her face apologetic.

"I'm sorry Sam, we don't want to be doing this honey." She said, as Jess came angrily towards them.

"What did they do to Jess?" Sam asked sadly, and Ellen looked at him apologetically.

"I'm not entirely sure they did do anything to her Sam." She said, as Jess dove at him with a knife, and he grabbed it, wrenching her hand away from him and forcing her away.

"How do we get rid of you?" Sam asked Ellen, who seemed to have the best control, at least she did until she punched him in the gut, making him stagger.

"The brands, break the brand that we got when they raised us and you'll send us back to where we belong." She said, ducking as Sam swung at her with the knife he had taken from Jess.

"Rufus, I know I killed you but I didn't want to!" Bobby protested as Rufus swung at him once more, wicked knife glinting.

"This isn't about that Bobby! I'm over that, it was that damn Khan worm of Eve's. No, this is about the angels, pure and simple." He said, once more going for Bobby's gut with the knife.

John laughed as Dean tried to punch him, but he simply moved out of the way.

"You've gotten lax Dean. Too much time feeling sorry for yourself, too much time spent indulging your devilspawn brother. You're pathetic, you always were. Sam whined, but you were just pathetic, death was too good for you. Growing up wanting to be just like daddy. I was never worth that boy, and you know it! You idolised me, followed my every order, and it was sickening! You didn't have a mind of your own, you were a robot, a mindless drone! At least Sam was amusing when he developed a mouth, a pair of balls and a brain! He left because you were just my little soldier, the perfect little weapon." John said, and Dean shook his head.

"You aren't my father. Yeah, my father was an ass at times. So was I, I always followed his orders blindly and being like him nearly lost me Sam. He did his best, he tried to protect us, problem was he was so damn obsessed with getting revenge and the hunt for the demon that he stopped being our dad and started being an army major, and that was always going to split us apart. Dad, I don't know if you're in there, but we do get it, and we are thankful for everything you did for us. But recently, I've seen what Sam meant and sometimes I really just wanted to smack you." Dean grunted, smacking him hard in the face.

"Jess please!" Sam pleaded as she once more tried to stab him in the head.

"It was all your fault!" she shrieked, and he grabbed the knife and flung it from her hand, and he looked up at her, tears in his eyes.

"Jess, I never wanted you to get hurt." He protested, and she sneered down at him.

"Funny how that keeps happening around you though isn't it? People you don't want to get hurt usually wind up dead, especially if you sleep with them!" she cried angrily, her hands fastening around his throat.

"Dean?" John asked, his voice dazed, and Dean looked at him suspiciously.

"Dad?" he asked, not trusting that he was back to normal.

John nodded, and looked at his son in amazement.

"What's going on?" he asked, and Dean frowned.

"You were brought back as witnesses, and then I think Raphael messed you up even further." He said darkly, and John looked at the mark on his arm.

"Dean, you can fix me. If we get rid of this brand, I can come back, and we can deal with them all together, side by side like we should have done all along." John said, and Dean looked at him, a flicker of excitement inside him.

They could get their father back?

Bobby was set upon by Jo, Ellen and Rufus, and he was rapidly being backed into a corner.

"We're sorry Bobby, we don't want to do this." Ellen said sadly, and he frowned desperately, he had only just got his body back he didn't want to become a ghost again.

"Alright then, so how do we stop you?" he asked, and Jo looked at her arm.

"If you damage the brand, that ought to do it. But you're running out of time, we've nearly got you, and Jess really wants Sam dead." She said, and Bobby looked over in alarm to where Sam was struggling with his ex fiancé.

"You sealed my fate the day I met you, I wish I'd never met you, I hate you!" Jess cried, her strong, enhanced hands crushing his throat, and Sam was struggling to remain conscious.

"Jess, this isn't you, I can't believe this is you...Jess...please, stop..." Sam begged.

"Yes son! We can do things right, get rid of everyone who's after you, be a family. Come on, take down this brand and I'll be alive again." John urged, but then, Dean, his senses attuned after years of listening to Sam's distress, turned to see Sam losing his struggle with Jess.

"Sammy!" he cried, moving towards his brother, but John held him by the arm.

"Son, forget him! This way, you don't fail! This way he dies, like he should have done, and it'll just be us again, don't you remember when it was the just the two of us, after he went and abandoned us? He didn't care about us." John reminded him and Dean glowered at his father.

"He did, he just couldn't stand living with you anymore! You weren't a father you were a drill sergeant, you pushed him away from us, from me! He wanted to be normal, not be used as a pawn in your game of revenge!" Dean spat angrily, trying to free himself from his father's grip.

"I always tried to protect you boys." John said, and Dean narrowed his eyes.

"Yeah, but don't you think it might have been better to tell us what the demon had planned rather than keeping it all to yourself?" he demanded furiously, and John glowered at him.

"Don't you second guess me. I did everything I had to do, to make sure the demon didn't win. Show me some respect." He ordered, and Dean shook his head.

"No. I'm done hero worshipping you, it nearly lost me Sam. It took me years to realise just how lousy a father you were. You had your moments, but I finally got what Sam hated about you. Now let me go, Sam is your son too!" Dean yelled, forcing his father off.

"If you take another step in that direction, you will no longer be my son!" John warned, and Dean shrugged.

"Given the choice, be your son or his brother, I'll be his brother any day." He said, and he dashed to Sam's side, smacking Jess off of his little brother.

"Dean!" Sam gasped in horror, kicking his brother out of the way as their father tried to kill him.

"You abandon me for him? The demon kid who got your mother killed?" John demanded, and Sam's face was instantly one of great hurt, and Dean could see the look, his heart breaking for his little brother.

It wasn't really their father, but it still looked and sounded like him, and he had just heard their own father say it was his fault that their mother had died. And in that moment, Dean knew he would do anything to protect Sam, including wipe his father off the face of the earth if that was what it took.

Jess had recovered and she dashed for Sam, but Ellen, in control for the moment, hurtled herself in front of Jess, slowing her advance.

"Sam didn't kill you!" she shouted, and Jess scoffed.

"Please, all he ever does is cause pain, he's toxic, how many people has he gotten killed?" she demanded and Sam was struggling to keep it together, and Dean knew it.

"Sam, break the brand!" he said, and John launched at him, allowing Dean to once more punch him in the face.

"Jess, I'm so sorry..." Sam said tearfully, pulling a knife from his belt and lunging at her, making Ellen jump out of the way, and he sliced right through the brand.

She looked at it in shock, and then the anger went from her eyes as she beheld him. And then, a trace of anger returned.

"Sam?" she asked, her voice slightly angry as she vanished in a puff of flame.

Bobby forced Rufus away from him, and then regretfully swung the butt of his rifle at Jo, before Rufus tackled his leg out from under him. Bobby cursed and pulled out a flick knife, slicing through the brand on Rufus' arm.

Rufus gasped in surprise then sat back on his haunches, giving a bark of laughter as he did so.

"Good shot Bobby, thanks! Now I can go meet Mabel!" he said excitedly, and passed a salute to his old partner before he too vanished in flame.

John crashed his fist into Dean, knocking him backwards, and he then brought his fist up into Dean's jaw, bowling him onto his back. Grinning hatefully, he then fell on his son, hands wrapping around Dean's throat, and Dean began to squirm, trying to force his father off.

"You are a failure, a pathetic little daddy's boy always whining about how unfair your life is, what about mine huh?"

The two were then thrown into a shadow.

"Your life was nothing compared to ours...daddy." Sam hissed and smashed his father in the face, knocking him off of his big brother, and bent down to slice the brand, covering Dean protectively as he did so.

John looked at his two sons, his eyes confused, and then he smiled proudly.

"I'm proud of you boys. Well done. And I'm sorry." He said, before he too vanished, leaving only Ellen and Jo.

"You boys ok?" Ellen asked worriedly, and Dean nodded massaging his neck, covering Sam in case the two of them made a run for them.

"We didn't want to do this Dean." Jo said sadly, and he nodded.

"I know." He said, and she darted her arm at him, trying to hit him, but he dodged and seized it, and then, taking the knife from Sam, cut the brand.

She looked at them both fondly.

"Sorry for trying to kill you both. What's that, two you owe me now Dean?" she asked, and he smiled.

"Something like that." He said as she vanished.

"Come on, get this over with." Ellen commanded as Bobby approached, and then looked at the boys.

"Keep looking out for each other or I'll kick your ass." She warned, and Sam smiled a little.

"Yes ma'am." He said, and she smiled as Bobby sliced the brand.

"Oh and you better not be coming to join me any time soon, or else!" she warned before she too vanished, leaving the three beaten hunters standing in the hallway outside the conference room.

Sam gave a little sniff and Dean, ignoring Bobby, and the threat posed by the people inside the conference room, pulled him into a hug.

"It wasn't really them Sam." He whispered.

"It was. Well, Jess was. Dad was messed up, but he went back to normal when I broke the brand...Jess was still angry. She hates me, it's my fault she..." he said sadly, and Dean shook his head, stroking Sam's hair.

"No Sammy, it wasn't." He said firmly, bur then Bobby interjected.

"Look, I don't want to break up your brotherly mushy moment, but we've got a room full of powerful pains in the ass, so shall we?" he asked, and Dean nodded, releasing Sam, who gave a small grin as he pulled out the detonator of the small bombs they had put above the seats in the conference room, and Dean then kicked the door open.

Raphael, Lilith, Emily, Gordon and Valente all stopped their arguing and turned to survey the newcomers irritably.

"Well, you took a little less time than I thought you would." Lilith said by way of greeting, and Dean glowered at Raphael.

"You know, we know angels are bastards, and that they fight dirty, but raising the witnesses as the people you did, that was low, even for you." He snarled, and Sam looked at the angel contemptuously.

"What's the matter Raphael? Can't kill us yourself?" he asked, his eyes still bright but dangerous looking, and Raphael leaned back in his chair.

"I could kill you right now where you stand boy. But, why rush? After all, we're all friends here." He said, looking at the others in the room, and Dean looked at him disdainfully.

"So, now you're working with all these clowns. Great." Dean said derisively, and Emily shot him a cool smile.

"You know, I never really liked you much either. And surely you must have known what your darling baby brother did to my father, and you kept it hidden. You're as bad as he is." She said, glaring at Sam.

"Ever heard of possession?" Sam grunted back, and she shrugged.

"Doesn't change the fact that you were born evil." She sneered, and Dean took a step forward, making the others tense.

"No he wasn't. In fact, despite everything, he still fights to protect this miserable rock from all your friends here, no matter what it costs him." He snarled angrily, and Valente grinned smugly.

"Oh touched a nerve have we?" he asked, eyeing the closed expression on Sam's face with relish.

"Sam, Sam, Sam...isn't it obvious? All of us keep telling you, you are inherently evil. Why not surrender and save us the trouble of killing you right here and now?" Gordon asked as they all got to their feet, and Sam smiled a little, showing them the detonator in his hand as Dean took a step back to flank his brother.

"Sam, really? You intend to blow us all up with that?" Lilith asked, and Sam glared at her, his hand on Dean's wrist as he seemed like he wanted to throw himself at her.

"Try me." He said, glowering at her, and Valente hissed.

"You must realise that even if you blow apart this entire building, the only ones you might kill are the humans and the vampires, and something makes me think you hate us more than you hate them. After all, we took Bobby here from you." Valente gloated, and Bobby glowered, raising the knife in his hand, but Dean glowered at him. If he wasn't allowed to attack Lilith, he couldn't attack Valente.

"I don't know. After all, demons took mommy and daddy and Ellen and Jo from them." Lilith purred.

"And angels are responsible for the worst betrayal they've faced. Which one of us do you hate more I wonder?" Raphael asked, giving Lilith a smile.

"I suspect...humans." Lilith hissed smugly, her eyes wide with anticipation, and her expression was making Dean uneasy.

"Sammy, blast them." He ordered, and Sam made to press the button on the detonator as they backed out of the door.

And then, Bobby moved, and Dean opened his mouth, to stop him before he got himself killed. But he wasn't attacking the enemies in the room, as he turned the knife to face the way they had came, and Dean realised with horror what was going on.

And as he did so, Bobby, knife pointing towards the door, spun, and plunged the knife right into Sam's stomach. Sam gave a startled gasp, Dean looked at Bobby in betrayal, Bobby took a horrified step back, and Sam then moaned and fell limply back into Dean's arms.

XX

The fight throughout the building was getting hard and dirty. Aimo, Marge and Garth were being overwhelmed by the number of demons, and despite Aimo blasting apart several demons, still more came out from the woodwork.

"Aimo, can't you do some sort of superweapon thing, you know, atom bomb them or something?" Garth asked as he shot at a demon.

"There's too many of them for that...oh no." Aimo whispered, seeing who had just appeared in the doorway of the building, smiling sinisterly.

It was Virgil and he was drawing his sword as he approached, looking with grim delight at his captive prey.

"Aimo, get out of here!" Garth yelled, as Virgil shot forwards.

Aimo barely had time to bring his sword up to defend against the attack before Virgil was on him. He slammed the sword into Aimo's twisting it around and leaving Aimo unprotected. Virgil slammed his fist into Aimo's chest and the young angel was thrown across the car park, slamming into a car, shattering the windscreen as he landed. He groaned, trying to move off the car, but Virgil appeared above him, smiling as he did so.

"And now, traitor, you die." He said, and brought the sword flashing down.

XX

Featherstone roared, her large teeth trying to slice Jody open. Grunting, she was forced back against the wall, her knife coming up to slice at the Leviathan.

"Jody! Catch!" Cox yelled, throwing a water pistol at her, which she caught.

"You do know she's a big mouth, not a vampire!" she yelled.

"Just spray her! Hey!" Cox yelped as Tammi flicked him over the room.

Jody fired the pistol, and Featherstone yelped as borax sprayed over her face.

Reynolds smirked as he forced Apronia away from him, and she hissed in vexation as he put his bleeding hand on the sigil he had just drawn. She gave an infuriated shriek as she was banished, leaving him free to send a shot at Tammi, who turned and sent clutched at his hand. As he choked from her powers, Cox was freed, and threw himself at her, knife going for her gut, while Featherstone, still howling in pain, was knocked back from Jody.

"You stupid fools, do you really think you can stop us? We're much more powerful than you are. You're not even hunters." Tammi said dismissively as the three of them surrounded her.

"We might not be hunters, but we're learning fast." Reynolds said, and fired his gun at her, and she stopped the bullet in midair.

"Really? Not quickly enough." She said, and motioned with her finger, and suddenly he yelped as his wrist was slit open, blood dripping from it.

"What the hell?" Cox demanded, and Jody fired her gun at the witch demon, forcing her to back off.

Featherstone, who had recovered, roared and advanced on them as Reynolds, losing too much blood, dropped to the floor.

"When are you going to learn? You're all outmatched." She hissed and advanced on the three.

XX

While Marion kept Vance pinned down, and Meg duelled with Grant, that left Tamara in a brawl with Mary, who had just thrown her into the wall and was advancing on her in victory.

"Foolish human. You can't stop us, we're far more powerful than you." She gloated, and Tamara glared up at her.

"Far more arrogant than us too. Do you think this plan of Raphael's is going to work? It won't you know, he's cutting too many corners." She said smugly, and Mary looked down at her, unconcerned.

"Raphael knows what he's doing. And anyway, it doesn't matter. We're leaving. The sooner you pathetic humans are exterminated like the ants you are the better." She sneered.

Meg kicked Grant over the room, slamming him against the wall, and kicked Vance away from Marion, allowing him to distract Mary by firing bullets at her angrily. The angel turned, ready to obliterate him when Tamara leapt up at her, climbing onto her back, pulling the angel backwards.

"You arrogant little human! How dare you touch me!" Mary spat, jerking to try and force Tamara off, but she was then distracted by an attack from Meg, while Marion ran to the wall, quickly slicing his hand with the knife in his pocket, and drawing a sigil.

Mary flung Tamara off her, and Grant sprang, teeth going for the hunter as Mary advanced on her, smiling bitterly.

"You filthy little humans are all going to-"

"Hey, featherbrain!" Marion yelled, and Mary turned in time to be banished by the sigil with a scream.

Tamara then kicked up at the vampire, while Meg was pummelling Vance. Marion turned to take care of the human, leaving Meg free to help Tamara with the vampire.

XX

Dean couldn't believe it. Bobby, their father figure, the person he loved most other than Sam, had just stabbed his little brother, driving the knife into his little brother, into someone the old man had considered a son. Dean had a weak Sam in his arms, looking at Bobby in shock as Sam looked desperately up at Bobby, clutching the knife in his gut, blood staining his hands.

"Bobby..." Dean breathed, ignoring the laughs of Raphael and his cronies.

"Told you humans were who you hated most Dean. Bobby, a deal's a deal. You're off the hook." Lilith said, clicking her fingers and something suddenly pulsed over Bobby, and Dean glared at her.

"You, you made him do it. You resurrected him." Dean accused and she nodded, smiling.

"Very clever Dean yes. And the little brands that were inside your friends outside? There was one like it, placed inside Bobby, to make sure he would try and kill one of you when the time was right." She gloated, and Dean looked at a horrified Bobby.

"I swear Dean, I had no idea, we have to get him out of here, come on..." he said, and Raphael laughed.

"It was an excellent plan. And now Dean, you die." Raphael said, raising his hand, and Dean looked at the angel in horror.

"Not my brother...you son of a bitch." Sam wheezed, and pressed the detonator.

The bombs exploded downwards, fire erupting from above the various members. Emily shrieked and threw herself to the floor, but the others weren't so fortunate. Gordon roared in pain as fire incinerated the top of his head, making him scream as his scalp burned as he dropped to the floor to try and extinguish the flames. Raphael swore in pain as fury as his special bomb, filled with holy oil, spilled down onto him, incinerated his skin, making him howl in pain. Lilith was immolated by fire as the bombs exploded, and flaming borax spilled onto Valente, making him roar as it poured down onto the top of him.

Dean pulled Sam back from the explosion, holding his weak brother close to him.

"Sammy, come on, you can't die on me again, stay with me ok?" he begged, and Sam gave a weak nod, his head lying on Dean's shoulder as he began to go pale.

"Dean, I..." Bobby said, closing the door to block out their burning victims.

"You, be quiet and stay the hell away from me until I figure out what to do about this. We need to get out of here." He said, and Bobby nodded, running for the stair door, as the door to the conference room opened and Emily stepped out, raising her gun to fire at Dean. Bobby fired at her, forcing her back inside, and supporting his little brother, Dean ran for the stair door, barging past Bobby and helping Sam down the stairs, not liking the amount of blood his brother was losing as he did so.

"Stay with me Sammy." Dean whispered and Sam, still moving his legs but leaning on his brother heavily, nodded.

Dean whistled as they passed the eighteenth floor, and with a cry, Jody, Cox and Reynolds, all looking rather the worse for wear all erupted from the floor.

"What happened?" Cox demanded as he saw Sam's weakening and bleeding form.

"Don't ask. Reynolds, keep Bobby covered, I want to make sure he doesn't hurt any more of us." Dean said savagely, and Bobby shook his head sadly.

"Dean, I swear I had no control." He protested but Dean ignored him, heading down the stairs, still supporting Sam.

They picked up the others on the twelfth floor and got to the entrance hall, just when Apronia and Mary flashed back into existence right behind them, and with a gesture the entire group was blown off their feet, Sam landing hard on his already bleeding stomach.

As the others battled the angels, Dean pulled Sam back, leaning his pale brother against the wall, his hand on his brother's pale, cold face.

"Sammy..." Dean whispered, and his brother opened his eyes slowly.

"Dean...this wasn't Bobby's fault, he couldn't control it. Don't hate him..." he pleaded, his eyes heavy, and Dean leaned his head against his brother's forehead.

"Hey, you listen to me. Don't you dare die on me, I can't lose you again, so you just stay awake ok? Don't give up on me yet Sammy, we'll get you to the coach and Cox can fit you right up." He said desperately, and Sam nodded a little, just as Mary appeared beside them.

"How sentimental." She sneered, raising her hand to finish the two boys. Dean shot her a terrified glance, and proceeded to hug Sam, stretching round to his back. Mary gathered her power, and Dean then released his hold on Sam, plunging the archangel blade into her stomach.

She gave a pained scream as he forced the blade right through her body, her eyes flashed brilliant white and her body collapsed to the floor, wings imprinting on the walls as she did so.

"Bitch." Dean grumbled, and he hoisted Sam up.

"I'm sorry Dean." Sam whispered as he stumbled.

"Don't be sorry Sammy, it isn't your fault. Come on, we need to get out of here." He said, rushing out to join the others, where Bobby had used a sigil to banish Apronia.

Barging through the doors, Dean went pale as he saw a beaten up Aimo get thrown into the concrete ground, Virgil coming down to end him with a sword blow. Marge was being throttled by Duane, and Villar was locked in battle with Garth.

Bobby fired his gun, blasting Villar away from Garth, and a shot from Reynolds sent Duane stumbling off of Marge.

"Aimo!" Jody cried out in surprise, just as the coach rounded the corner, crashing into Virgil and sending him slamming into wall at great speed. Aimo moaned weakly and Meg helped him up, supported by Bobby, while Cox helped Dean get Sam moving quicker, as the demons were coming back for round two.

There was then a flash of lightning as Raphael appeared, Lilith and Valente in tow, all of them sporting wicked looking burns.

"Nice try Winchester. Now, you all die." Raphael growled in fury, and Dean went pale as the three attacked.

The others didn't have to wait for his command to make a run for it. Missouri had already gunned the engine, and Meg had almost reached the coach with a weak and bleeding Aimo. Bobby followed them in, as did Reynolds, but by then Lilith had attacked, blasting the others forward as Raphael drew his sword.

"Dean..." Sam whispered weakly as he carried his brother to the coach door.

"Stay with me Sammy, please." Dean begged, and then there was a roar behind him.

Dean turned in panic as Valente roared, and without thinking, Dean shoved Sam away from the Leviathan, knocking Sam to the ground. Sam, breathing heavily, gut still bleeding, his grip on consciousness fading, looked up and screamed as he saw the past repeat itself, and he was just as helpless now as he had been on that occasion.

Valente, roaring, his teeth revealed, bit down into Dean, ripping up his brother's chest, savaging him viciously, his teeth slicing through flesh, muscle, bone and organs, as Dean gave a pained, terrified scream. Sam cried out for his brother as blood flecked the ground around him, Dean giving a shuddering cry as he was ripped up, and with a last, exhausted, triumphant sigh, Valente let go of Dean and Dean fell to the ground, giving shaking gasps, his entire chest shredded viciously as he was clearly dying.

"No, Dean..." Sam begged, tears in his eyes as he pulled himself to his brother, ignoring the pain, the blood trail he was leaving on the ground, all he knew was he had to get to his brother, had to save Dean, but his heart went cold, as he saw his brother's blood speckled face gazing off into the distance.

"Sam..." Dean wheezed and then, he went still, his breath stopped, his eyes glassy.

"NO! DEAN!" Sam yelled and Valente prepared himself for dessert when a shotgun round blasted a hole in his head, knocking him off his feet, spraying black blood everywhere.

Sam couldn't believe it. His brother had been savaged to death again, and once more he had been unable to stop it. Dean had died saving him, protecting him, he couldn't be dead, he couldn't be gone, not again. Sam was whimpering, tears flooding down his face as he looked at his brother's death set expression, his mouth slightly open, his eyes gazing off into nothing.

"DEAN!" Sam yelled hysterically.

"Sam, we've got to get out of here!" Reynolds said, helping him up.

"No! Not without Dean!" Sam cried, ignoring the excruciating pain in his stomach as he looked upon his fallen brother urgently, wishing for any sign that his brother would come back to him.

Cox was there and he hoisted Dean up, and there were multiple bullets in the air as Emily and her gang arrived, firing at the coach. Tamara, Marge and Garth all fired back at them, covering Cox and Reynolds as they carried the Winchesters into the coach.

"Not so fast." Lilith said, hearing the sound of sirens blazing towards them.

"That can't be good." Missouri said, stepping down on the accelerator as the door slammed shut.

The coach and caravan accelerated out of the carpark, only to find several police cars coming straight for them.

"What the hell?" Garth demanded, joining her in the driver's section.

"This is the Ohio State Police! We are aware that Sam and Dean Winchester are currently in your possession. Pull over and present them for arrest!" a voice blared over a loudspeaker from the lead car.

"Uh oh." Missouri muttered as she revved up the engine, sending the coach hurtling through the city streets.

"We have seven police cars back there. And that isn't all! Emily's van is behind us, so is the vampires, the Leviathan's car, Lilith's limo, and Raphael's in the air too!" Meg yelled as the angel took to the air with an accompaniment of thunder and lightning, and once more the rain began to lash down onto the motorway as the coach blazed through the city streets.

Sam was weak, but Cox was attending to his stab wound, studying it intently.

"We caught you just in time, you were more likely to die from blood loss than anything else. How did this happen?" Cox asked Sam, but Sam, grimacing in pain, tears running down his face, was facing his brother, holding his dead brother's hand desperately, as though he could bring him back through sheer force of will.

"It was me." Bobby said quietly, and Cox turned to look at him in shock.

"You?" he demanded, and Bobby nodded.

"Lilith resurrected me and basically programmed me to attack the boys when it was in her best interest. And I stabbed him. I stabbed Sam and now Dean's dead too." He said, tears glistening in his eyes as he looked at the two brothers.

Tamara was frowning in concern as she checked up on Aimo, he had received a fair beating, and Virgil had also stabbed him in the side, and considering how much the angel was still bleeding, she was afraid that there was more serious damage than what she could see.

"Aimo, stay with us sweetie, we need you." Tamara said, looking to Cox desperately as he patched Sam up.

"Dean..." Sam moaned to his dead brother, but received no response, and as a result he sort of wriggled closer to him, frustrating Cox.

"Sam, I've got to get you fixed up, stop moving." He said, and Tamara was shaking her head.

"Doc, he isn't doing very well." She said worriedly, and he cursed. He needed more hands, he couldn't fix up both Sam and Aimo at once.

"Neither is Sam." Cox said worriedly, and Marion looked at them worriedly.

"Will Sam survive?" he asked, and Cox frowned.

"I don't know, I'd rather Aimo fixed him to be on the safe side, to find out if Bobby did any more damage I would need access to a hospital, but as we have the entire state police force after us now, I don't recommend it. Alright, you clean Sam's wound up while I check over Aimo." He ordered, moving to the angel as Missouri twirled them around the corner.

Rain was lashing at the roads, lightning flash across the sky as Raphael attempted to target the coach, which other cars on the road were wisely giving a wide berth to. The police and the other creatures were following right behind them, and he knew now it was only a matter of time until the remaining Winchester and all his little friends were dead.

"Aimo, can you hear me?" Cox asked but the young angel gave no response, and Sam was groaning in pain, his hand still held tightly to his dead brother's.

"Can we even trust Bobby?" Reynolds asked, his gun focused on Bobby in case he tried anything, but the old man was simply staring white faced at the two brothers, hating himself, blaming himself for bringing this state of affairs about.

"Never mind that, we need to fix Aimo and Sam. Doc, there's a hell of a lot more blood all of a sudden!" Marion cried as Missouri took them over a large bump in the road.

"We have bigger problems too, there's even more police cars, they aren't even caring about the other ones after us, they just want us all dead." Meg said worriedly, peering out of the back window.

"Dean..." Sam whispered before lapsing into unconsciousness.

"Sam, wake up!" Cox yelled, but received no response, just like he wasn't receiving any from Aimo either.

"What do we do? We've lost Dean, we can't lose this pair too." Jody said tearfully as Marion tried to stem the blood erupting from his stomach wound.

Cox frowned. Aimo was losing a lot of blood, and as an angel, he didn't really have a clue how to treat him anyway. Sam was haemorrhaging, blood pouring from the wound and unless he was stopped soon he was going to bled to death. How the hell was he supposed to make a decision?

The coach zoomed up the highway, but it was clear that the police were going to catch them. Missouri cursed as another flash of lightning hit the road, making her twirl the coach to avoid it. Bikes were now joining the chase, and she could hear a helicopter, very unwisely trying to follow them in this weather.

"Lilith must have tipped them off. Anyone got any ideas?" Garth yelled as they blazed along the highway, police, creatures and everything else getting ever closer to them.

"Save Aimo?" Tamara asked, holding the kid's hand tightly.

"Wait a minute, I have an idea. We can summon Crowley, why not summon an angel?" Marion asked, as Aimo gave a weak moan, and Cox cursed before darting to Sam's side.

"Are you crazy?" Marge demanded, but Meg frowned thoughtfully.

"Not if we take precautions. Right, paint a sigil on the floor, one large enough for an angel to stand in, then surround it with holy oil. We can summon an angel, force them to heal Aimo, then he can heal Sam." She said as a police car tried to overtake them, but a shunt from the coach knocked it away from them.

The storm was getting worse as they blazed through Ohio, their pursuers getting ever closer, Raphael's powers getting closer to destroying them all.

"Come on Sam, keep breathing." Cox said, stitching his wound as fast as he could.

He seemed to have stopped the massive blood loss for now, but Sam was still incredibly weak and was calling out for his brother.

"Sam, come on, stay with us." Jody said, and Bobby shook his head as he beheld someone who he considered a son, lying near death on the bed beside his dead brother because of what he had been made to do.

Missouri swore as she took them down a ramp onto another part of the highway, their pursuit still right on their tail. This was getting old. Raphael was now blasting trees down onto the road, and the wind was also beginning to pick up, buffeting the coach from side to side.

Cox frowned. Sam was stabilised, but he didn't know how long it was going to last. And meanwhile, Aimo was slipping closer to death. And with Dean gone, he didn't think Sam would be particularly willing to fight off death if it came to that either.

Marion had drawn the sigil on the floor, and Marge had surrounded it with holy oil. Showing Reynolds the incantation, he began to chant in horribly accented Enochian as the coach swayed in the wind, the cabin filled with curses from Missouri as their pursuers got ever closer, and as Raphael got more accurate with his lightning strikes.

"Dean..." Sam whispered, looking at his dead brother beside him on the bed, wanting him to come back to him, but he then passed out with the pain.

"Doc, Sam isn't with us." Tamara said, and h checked his patient, cursing at the situation.

There was then a bright flash, and Apronia was summoned into the middle of the circle, which Meg promptly lit, and Apronia narrowed her eyes.

"How dare you summon me?" she asked furiously as the fire rose around her.

"One wrong move and we slice and dice you." Marion growled, angel sword in hand.

Apronia hissed, realising she was trapped. She couldn't get out of the trap, and she didn't fancy her chances against the sword with what had happened to Mary.

"You are going to die for this you pathetic little fools." She vowed angrily, and Jody glowered.

"Spare us the threats. Now, we have an entire police force, demons, vampires, hunters, Leviathans and angels all after us, and we're pissed off with it. So, you are going to help us." She ordered, and Apronia looked at her in fury.

"You dare command an angel of the lord?" she roared, and Marion poked the sword in her direction, making her simmer down.

"Yeah, we do." He growled, and she gave them a superior smile.

"It is irrelevant. Raphael is about to destroy all of you tiny human fools. And look, precious Dean is dead. And if you summoned me here to resurrect him, you can think again." She purred, and Meg shook her head.

"No, we want you to heal the kid." She said, indicating a weakening Aimo, and she looked at her in fury.

"What? No! I will never heal that traitor, he got what he deserves." She spat furiously.

"Dean..." Sam whispered, coming to, and squeezing Dean's hand, and Missouri then swore as a lightning strike just missed them.

"Lilith tipped off the police. Either way, you aren't going to escape this time." Apronia gloated, and Marion rolled his eyes.

"Look, you don't have a choice. Either you fix him, or we kill you. And without you, what makes you think this Apocalypse of your boss' is going to go off?" he demanded, and she looked at him as though he were disgusting.

"It still will. You have no control over me." She taunted, though she did have to admit she was still trapped.

"Well, we may as well kill you then." Cox said angrily, and Marion lunged for her heart, and she screamed as he did so, and with a wince, realised he had stopped just short, but was still nicking her skin with the point of the blade.

"Fix Aimo. Now." Marion ordered, and with a curse she realised she had no choice but to relent.

"I will peel the flesh from your bones for this." She growled, and did so.

Aimo gasped as he awoke, then looked up in panic at Apronia.

"Thanks. Bye now." Marion said, lunging with the sword, just as lightning hit the coach, shattering the sunroof.

They all screamed as they were knocked off their feet by the impact, and Apronia smiled as the rain lashed onto the flames of the holy oil, and deciding not to push her luck, she was gone, leaving them getting back to their feet.

"What happened?" Aimo asked weakly as Cox checked him over, nodding in approval.

"We're in deep trouble. And Dean's dead." He responded, and Aimo looked sadly at Dean's body, and then flicked his hand at Sam, his wound healed a second later, and he wasted no time in bringing himself closer to Dean's side.

"Dean, no..." Sam said, kneeling beside his dead brother, tears pouring from his eyes as he held Dean to him, gently closing his brother's eyes and holding his bloody, mauled form close to him, shuddering in sobs as he did so.

It was just like the hellhounds, he had been brutally savaged, and Sam had been unable to do anything, and he was now facing existence without his big brother.

"Dean!" Sam wailed, as the coach shuddered.

"The caravan is slowing us down!" Missouri cried as they continued on their dangerous journey, their pursuit getting ever closer.

Tamara heard Missouri and nodded to herself.

"Alright, Aimo, can you get me over to the caravan?" she asked, and he grabbed her before vanishing.

"Sam..." Bobby said, but Sam said nothing, holding his brother to him.

Marion looked on at the Winchesters, shaking his head. He had seen how devastated Dean had been first hand when Sam had died, and now he was seeing it the opposite way round.

Bullets were pinging against the coach as they accelerated onwards, the police getting ever closer to them, and Missouri realised that she was rapidly running out of room. They were approaching a narrow road, and if they didn't lose the caravan they weren't going to escape, and even then it would be close.

In the caravan Tamara had gathered everything belonging to anyone, her own personal items and as many weapons as she could assemble, and with a concentrated effort, Aimo sent them to the coach.

"You ok?" Tamara asked, and he nodded.

"Yeah, I'm just weak and tired after the fight. I can get you back though." He promised, and she took a last look around the place that had been her home since the death of her husband.

"Thank you." She whispered, and he flashed them back, clicking his fingers as he did so.

In the coach, coming out from under the pile of things Tamara had evacuated, Meg looked out of the back window to see the caravan splinter off and roll backwards, taking out two of the twelve police cars that were following them, and making another swerve into the verge to avoid it.

"Three cop cars down, but the rest are still right on our tail. Anyone got any ideas?" she asked, and Jody looked up at the broken sunroof.

"We could always start shooting, but that means we'll be in danger too." She said, as Aimo and Tamara appeared, and Aimo tiredly collapsed into the seat.

The coach was now very cramped, but they didn't have much time to panic.

"Where's Raphael?" Sam asked, taking a deep breath and laying down his dead brother, getting to his feet while rubbing the tears from his eyes.

"In the air, and the rest of them are on the ground. Sam I..." Bobby said, but Sam cut him off with a shake of his head.

"Bobby, later. We need to force them off, the storm will make driving worse." He said, his voice flat and emotionless as he did so.

"Sam..." Jody said, touching his shoulder before the entire coach lurched as a police car slammed into the back of it.

"Damn it! We don't have enough room or grip for them to be doing that!" Missouri yelled, wishing to hell someone would deal with at least one of the cars.

Crowley than appeared in the centre of the coach, making everyone jump in surprise. He looked like hell. He had deep, bleeding cuts all over his body, his suit was charred and smoking, burns covered his hands, his eyes were both black and he was missing a few teeth too.

"You've looked better." Bobby said by way of greeting.

"Thank you for your concern. By the way, were you aware that someone excavated a binding link from you recently?" he asked, and Bobby nodded.

"Yes, I know I was bound. Lilith did it, she brought me back to kill the boys. I nearly killed Sam." He admitted, and Crowley snorted.

"Usually I would laugh but it hurts too much to do it right now. Lilith's goons have been chasing me everywhere, and I'm getting fed up with it. You lot are in trouble, and Lilith is still alive. That isn't acceptable. But I suppose if I'm going to get any help out of you, I might as well do this." Crowley said irritably and clicked his fingers.

Dean abruptly sat up, his chest once more clear and whole again, the blood gone, and he was looking at Sam in shock.

"Dean!" Sam cried out in delight and threw himself at his brother, and his brother eagerly returned the hug.

"You're welcome. By the way, you have another angel coming down here and things are about to get very dicey, so, exit stage Crowley. Ciao." He said, and was gone once again.

"Wait, did he just come here primarily to resurrect Dean?" Tamara asked, and Reynolds shrugged.

"Seems that way doesn't it? Suppose he reckons the boys are the best chance for him getting his throne back. Bet that hurts." He said with a satisfied smirk.

"Sammy." Dean said, holding his brother tightly, just as the entire coach rocked again.

"Damn it, someone do something!" Missouri yelled, and Dean looked at the others.

"What did I miss?" he asked, and Jody pursed her lips.

"Lilith had a back up plan. She told the police where we were, and now we have all of Ohio police force following us, combined with our usual delightful dinner guests." She said as the coach was slammed from the back.

"Ow! What was that?" Marge demanded as a long thin box rolled out from under the bed.

"I forgot all about that. Dean, I've got a present for you." Sam said, and Dean looked at him curiously as he lifted the box onto the bed.

"I got it for your Christmas years ago, but we were tortured by pagan gods and then you died, and then we weren't talking to each other, and then I was soulless and then I forgot but here you are, happy very belated Christmas!" Sam said, and Dean looked at him curiously as he opened the box, and a look of gleeful, ecstatic delight appeared on his face as he saw what Sam had gotten him.

"Aww Sammy I love you!" he said happily, and Marion and Jody looked at each other in shock.

"Is that?" Marion asked weakly, and she nodded.

"Yes. Sam has gotten Dean...a bazooka." She said weakly, and Bobby went white.

"Sam? You got your brother a bazooka? I thought you and your father agreed on one thing...Dean must never be set loose with a bazooka!" he said in alarm, and Sam shrugged as he saw the massive smile on his brother's face.

"Yeah but look how happy he is! If I knew giving him a bazooka would have made him happy Dean I'd have given it to him years ago." He said, and Dean smiled as he counted the shots.

"Five shots. Alright, come on Sammy!" Dean ordered happily, and Meg looked at him in fear.

"You're actually going to use it?" she demanded, and he nodded.

"Well obviously." He said as he made his way to the broken sunroof.

"I don't care what you do as long as you get rid of some of the ones following us!" Missouri yelled as Raphael blasted a few rocks loose with a lightning strike which she barely avoided.

"He might blow us all up though!" Marge protested, but Aimo shook his head.

"No, I can help balance him, guide his shots. We won't hit anyone bar the ones who aren't doing their jobs." He said, and Tamara looked at him worriedly.

"Are you sure honey? You can barely stand." She said, and he nodded.

"I can do this." He said, and once more the noise was split by an announcement from the police.

"This is the Ohio police! We know Dean Winchester is in there, so slow to a stop and turn him over! You are transporting a dangerous criminal wanted for mass murder, murder, grand theft auto, fraud, indecent exposure, tax evasion and abuse!" the voice came, and Dean growled.

"No to the mass murder unless you count vampires, if it's Sam's murder you want me for it wasn't me, I'll admit to grand theft auto and fraud, and even tax evasion, but I've never abused Sam and indecent exposure, well that wasn't really my fault." He said, and Sam looked at him curiously.

"When were you done for indecent exposure?" he asked and Dean blushed as he climbed onto the table so he could go outside.

"Never you mind. Come on then." He ordered, clambering out of the roof, and Aimo flashed outside where he could keep a balance on Dean. Sam climbed through, and then Jody passed the bazooka up to them.

Outside, the noise was deafening. The sirens continued to blare, and they could hear the pang of bullets impacting against the back of the bus. Thunder rolled across the sky, and that all combined with the noise the rain was making as it lashed down onto the bus. The rain was making it difficult to see by, the lightning was flashing across the sky, and the multiple siren lights were blazing in their faces.

"God, I die for a little while and look what happens, everything's gone to pot." Dean complained, hoisting the bazooka out of its box.

"Dean! Apronia!" Sam yelled and he blanched as the angel landed with a thud on the roof of the coach, knocking Dean off his feet as she did so.

"That blasted demon really is a party pooper. I should have known you would interfere Aimo." She hissed, and Virgil then appeared behind them all, smirking dangerously as he did so.

"And now, the chase is at an end." He said, and Aimo looked desperately at Dean, who nodded.

Sam then lunged for Apronia, pulling out the archangel sword as he did so. Aimo threw a hand out to balance Dean, and with his other hand readied his own sword and made a move for Virgil.

Dean frowned as he watched Sam swing the sword at Apronia. At least his brother was alright, but he knew Sam was going to be upset that he had died again. Even more upset considering it was the same way he had died that took him away from him in the first place. But, it wouldn't matter if they didn't get out of this. So, grinning like a kid with a new toy, Dean loaded the first rocket into his bazooka and hefted it to his shoulder.

Sam slashed upward with the sword, and Apronia barely blocked the attack, hissing as she took a step back on the rain slicked roof of the coach.

"You actually think you can achieve something. We are going to bring about this Apocalypse Sam and there's nothing you can do to stop it." She taunted, and he smiled grimly.

"You said that last time too, and look what happened." He snarked, and she narrowed her eyes.

"Yes...you boys have caused all sorts of trouble. I think it's time to correct that!" she roared and lunged at him.

Aimo blocked Virgil's swing, then span out from under the attack, twirling up behind the older angel and kicked him away from him.

"You would think, being Raphael's best assassin, that you would have killed me by now. But here I am, a baby angel, and there the boys are, two mortals, and you can't kill any of us. You suck." Aimo taunted cheerfully, and Virgil gave a snarl and swung at Aimo, and he once more twirled out of the way, blocking the attack as he did so and going back to back with Sam.

"What are you doing?" Sam asked, blocking Apronia's swing.

"Pissing him off. Do you think it's working?" he asked hopefully, and was answered as Virgil once more fell upon him.

As Sam and Aimo battled their opponents on top of the coach as Missouri pelted it along the dark motorway, the pursuing cop cars, backed up by Raphael's storm, and also joined by the other factions wanting to get the boys, all getting closer.

Dean smiled, hoping Sam and Aimo were alright behind him as they duelled their opponents in the pouring rain. He flinched as another rumble of thunder happened, wincing as rocks came pelting down the Cliffside into the road, one landing right on the bonnet of a pursuing police car, bringing it to a stop. Dean looked out in the rain, seeing the mountainside fly past and seeing the view being on top of the coach provided. Another flash of lightning went off, and he smirked, seeing what he was looking for, and, with a thrill of excitement, fired the bazooka.

The rocket lanced off the top of the coach, leaving a steaming wake behind it, making him cough slightly with the fumes. The police cars in the front swerved to avoid the attack, but the Leviathans weren't so lucky. Illuminated by a flash of lightning, Dean smirked as the rocket crashed into their bonnet, resulting in an explosion and he could hear the three Leviathans scream as their burning car hurtled out of control, smashed through a barrier and plunged from view.

"Whoo! That was amazing! Sammy I love you!" Dean yelled in glee, and aimed his bazooka again.

Sam blocked another swing, cursing as the coach rocked from the impact of another police car. Fortunately, Aimo, still avoiding Virgil's attacks, still had a tight hold on the two brothers. A tight hold the angels didn't have. Grinning, Sam pushed forwards, bringing his sword down in an overhead strike. Apronia blocked it, arcing her back slightly to do so, and he raised his leg, kicking her in the gut. Stumbling backwards, she was struggling to retain her hold on the top of the bus when Sam lunged at her, catching her with his shoulder, and she gave a screech as she was knocked hurtling off the bus, slamming through the barrier and toppling down the hill out of sight.

"Ha, score, take that bitch." Sam said with satisfaction.

Sam rushed to help Aimo, but it looked as though the young angel didn't need any help. He caught Virgil's next attack, and then jabbed his right arm upwards, and Virgil gave a cry of pain as a wicked little dagger embedded itself inside his gut. Virgil looked at him in shocked surprise and Sam grinned proudly as Aimo cocked his head, grinning.

"You know, you may dismiss them as insignificant and stupid but they've taught me a lot. Sam taught me that little trick. So, bye bye!" he said cheerfully, and gestured, throwing Virgil flying off of the top of the coach.

"Good work kid." Sam said proudly, ruffling the boys hair and they joined Dean who was squinting for another target, and Dean smiled when he saw how close Sam was standing to him. Worry wart.

"Deep fried vampires coming up!" he said, and fired again, once more scattering the police cars.

The vampires hissed in anger as the rocket hit, catching the underside of the van and flipping it up into the air, spiralling before smashing down, fire erupting from it, forcing the vampires to climb out.

"Put down the bazooka or we will be forced to fire on you!" the police shouted, and Dean rolled his eyes.

Reynolds stuck his head up through the hatch.

"Alright, this is getting old, we're going to have to find some way to get rid of this red mark on your head! Otherwise we'll never be able to stop Raphael and company from wrecking the joint!" he said, and Sam turned to him.

"Any ideas?" he asked, and Reynolds smiled a little.

"Not using a bazooka springs to mind, but don't worry I'll think of something." He assured them before disappearing.

"Drop the bazooka! Now!" the police yelled, and Aimo rolled his eyes and, concentrating, he waved his hand, and abruptly all the police cars vanished.

"Aimo! What did you do to them?" Sam asked, relishing the sudden silence that had emerged, as now all there was was the noise of the thunder, the coach and the cars of the hunters and Lilith.

"Sent them back to base. By the time they get out of there, we'll be gone." He said cheerfully, but then sagged and Sam stooped to catch him, lowering him onto the wet top of the bus.

"Whoo, how many cars are following us? I see eleven." He muttered and Sam rolled his eyes.

"You've tired yourself out." Sam said, wincing as another strike of lightning nearly fried the lot of them.

"But this makes it so much easier! Order of deep fried demon bitch to go!" Dean yelled happily and sent a rocket at Lilith's car.

The rocket burst right into the car and exploded, and Dean heard a satisfying scream as the car exploded.

"Dean, take out Emily, now!" Sam yelped as Emily stuck her head out the van, a semi automatic in hand and she opened fire, but Dean had already sent a rocket towards them, blocking the shots as it travelled, and Emily screamed as it hit the road beside the truck and exploded, sending it careening out of control and slamming it into the wall.

"Good shot." Sam said, admiring his handiwork.

"I missed though. Have we got any more rockets?" he asked hopefully, and Sam smiled.

"Yes, I got two boxes when I took it from the army surplus all those years ago, they're at dad's lock up." He said, and then they heard a furious scream, which made Aimo go pale.

"Raphael!" he wailed, and they saw Raphael rise to the front of the full moon, glaring down at them and he swept down, lightning strikes surrounding him as he descended, his hands outstretched.

Down in the cabin, Missouri saw the rapidly accelerating angel in her mirror and swore.

"Buggeration!" she yelped.

Meg looked out of the back window and gulped.

"Crap."

And Dean simply smiled and raised his bazooka, firing the last missile.

Raphael saw the rocket coming straight for him and cursed, knowing there was no way he could get out of the way in time.

"Damn you Winchester." He said angrily, and screamed as the rocket entered his head, and with an almighty explosion, Raphael blew apart, scattering bits of his vessel all over the road.

The inhabitants of the coach winced as there was a massive bright flash of light, accompanied by a furious scream of frustration and the light dissipated, leaving them free and clear, the rain clearing, the roads clear, and not an enemy in sight.

Aimo looked up at Dean in admiration.

"That was amazing! You just blew up his vessel! He's going to be pissed with you!" he said in awe, and hugged Dean's legs, making Dean grin.

"See that, I'm a hero again." He said smugly, grinning at Sam.

"What do you mean again?" Sam asked, and Dean smiled, realising what his brother was implying though not actually saying.

They struggled back inside and a tired Aimo fixed the sunroof, and Marion immediately started to draw Enochian symbols on it.

"So what now?" Garth called back, and there was then a crunching noise.

"Um, what was that?" Bobby asked, not liking the look on Dean's face as he stood protectively in front of Sam.

Missouri frowned as the noise got louder, and then an awful feeling struck her, and she looked up, to see what she indeed feared to see.

Raphael's explosion had been violent, but not in the way they had expected. Instead, his energy exploding outwards had damaged the cliff face they were driving under, and now damaged rocks were all teetering precariously, the dying wind still buffeting them mercilessly.

"Oh...dear." she said weakly and with an almighty roar the rocks plummeted downwards.

The entire cabin was filled with terrified screaming as the rocks fell, slamming down to the road in front of them, behind them, to their sides, and then another hail of rocks cascaded down, Dean forced Sam down protectively, and Sam grabbed Aimo to shelter him as the rocks fell to the earth, the coach caught right under them, and with an almighty crash, the falling rocks smashed into another surface, and all went quiet.

**Well the boys have had yet another crappy day havent they?**

**Sam stabbed again, by Bobby no less, ooh Lilith really is a twisted bitch. But, who can tell if Bobby's murderous compulsions are gone? Either way, there's going to be some major issues for the boys and Bobby...provided they're alive that is.  
**

**After all, Dean has already died once this chapter, Valente has now killed a Winchester, but will that be enough to appease a rather pissed off Roman?  
**

**And now, our heroes have been caught in a landslide, so will they survive this one?  
**

**One good thing that's happened though, at least Raphael's vessel has now gone boom, so next time he will be shopping for a new vessel.  
**

**And now, we are moving closer to the finale! Roman is pissed with the continued existence of the Winchesters, but of greater concern is the continued existence of Raphael's oncoming Apocalypse. Crowley is on the run and not doing too well, but that may begin to change next time around.  
**

**Now, for John Winchester, I did vent a little bit, but I also made him one of the ones meddled with, who Raphael would expect would hurt the boys most, Dean in particular. I'm sorry but I just cant stand his character, I have tried though but he just infuriates me. Dean does too but I dont hate him, but i do have an incredibly low opinion of john. And Jess, I know she was only in it the once, but I never liked her much either, probably because she inadvertently kept Sam and Dean apart, even if it was before the first episode. what can I say, I think Sam belongs on the road with Dean and vice versa. Hence why I never liked Lisa much either.  
**

**Oh I meant to say last time, Lilith has now borrowed two sayings from a Disney villain, so full brownie points if you can guess what one it is!  
**

**So, what will happen next time? Alliances are broken and made next time, Roman and Crowley both return, we also have an upcoming appearance from Death but I cant remember if its the next one or the one after, two other old enemies return as a last ditch plan is made and I fear next time we will lose another hero (not Sam or Dean this time you'll be pleased to hear)  
**

**So, until then, which will hopefully be tomorrow (sorry it wasnt updated last night I couldnt get it to work so I restarted the chapter, and I finished early to watch Batman Begins seeing as I'm going to see Dark Knight Rises tomorrow), please read and above all review!  
**


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural**

Bleeding Storm

Roman was not amused by the report Suzan was giving him. Not amused at all.

"How many seals?" he asked angrily, and she looked distasteful as she reported her failure.

"Forty three seals have now been broken. Even with our own forces acting to stop them, there's simply too many to stop. Hunters are stopping them as well, as are some other group, but the angels continue to break the seals." She admitted resentfully.

Roman leaned back in his chair, placing his chin on his hands thoughtfully.

"These damn angels, they need to learn that their time is over. They had their run and failed, and now we're the ones in the home strait. But these bloody angels and demons are going to keep interfering unless we do something to stop them." He snarled, and Suzan glowered.

"That isn't all. Reports are coming in of an attack on Sandover Company in Ohio. It seems that Valente, Villar and Featherstone were all there at some sort of meeting, with Raphael and Lilith." She reported, and he looked at her angrily.

"What? He's decided to work with them?" he asked, and she nodded.

"Yes sir, and that isn't all. I've been trying to phone him all morning and he isn't responding. I think we must assume that he has gone native." She said in disgust and he flexed his hand.

"Gone native has he? We'll see about that. Get on to the FBI. I want Valente found so I can watch him devour himself. He's betrayed me, and I don't take betrayal well at all. It won't be tolerated. We're too close now to finishing all this, and that idiot is helping the ones who have the biggest chance of starving us into extinction. Get my helicopter ready." He ordered, standing, and she looked at him curiously.

"Yes sir, but may I ask why?"

He gave her a grim smile.

"Because I am going to Ohio. I'm going hunting." He said and swept out of his office, her following quickly in his wake.

XX

Crowley cursed as he avoided another fireball that was thrown in his direction. Lilith's bounty hunters were after him like flies around crap at the moment, and to be quite frank it was getting very old.

"You were king for a good stretch Crowley. But Lilith is back in town now, and she's not taking any prisoners." The lead bounty hunter, Krell, yelled at him towards his hiding place.

Crowley rolled his eyes.

"Really? Well, while Lilith might not be taking prisoners, seems to me she isn't doing much else either. After all, the Winchesters are still alive." He said, and Krell spat on the ground in disgust.

"The Winchesters are immaterial. Besides, you were king for over two millennia and you never killed them, in fact, the rumours are out Crowley. Rumour has it you've resurrected them, not just once, but twice!" Krell hissed, and Crowley cursed the information network of hell, you couldn't even sneeze without some smart arse knowing who wiped your nose.

"Hardly immaterial." Crowley said, edging away from the wall as he heard the group of bounty hunters coming closer.

Krell gave a bark of laughter.

"Oh, have we insulted your little friends 'my lord'?" he asked scathingly, and Crowley rolled his eyes again.

"Hardly my friends. But, they aren't immaterial. After all, it is their fault that I was able to become king in the first place, they took out Azazel. He was a tyrant to be sure, but he was a decent king, he kept everyone happy and kept promising a glorious deliverance to victory. And bang, one shot from Dean Winchester and he's dead. Second, you had the queen she bitch of hell, Lilith, and she was a tyrant who knew she was going to die, but instead of making preparations she just let herself get stomped by Sam Winchester, leaving hell in chaos. And then of course, there was no obvious demonic successor to the throne either. Alastair was gone by then, and the Winchesters had wiped out a lot of Azazel and Lilith's inner circle. And then of course, thanks to them, Lucifer got put back in his box, so even he couldn't rule hell properly. I'm just pointing out that dismissing them is what has thwarted so many plans in the past." He said, conjuring a fire ball.

"Be that as it may, Lilith will soon have them dead. Rumour has it she made Dean kill Sam." Krell gloated, and even Crowley had to admit, that had been impressive work.

"That she did. But rumour also has it that she's working with an archangel." Crowley said, making Krell scoff.

"So did you." He pointed out, and Crowley once again cursed news travelling in hell.

"And she is also working with humans, Leviathans and vampires simply because she cannot kill the Winchesters herself." Crowley continued.

And he smiled as he heard the little sound of hesitation in Krell's voice.

"She knows what she's doing." He said stoutly, and Crowley smirked.

"That she may, I'll be the first to admit that she's much more powerful than me. She's a yellow eyes in all but name, but still, the Winchesters are still alive. And it isn't like it was with Azazel or with her first reign, this time she doesn't want the Apocalypse to go off. After all, she died for Lucifer and she still failed to do the damn job properly. This time she's working with someone who wants to restart the Apocalypse, and if that happens, we're going to become obsolete because Lucifer doesn't really care about demons, he's like a child who made something look rude just to annoy his father. And yet, she knows this, she had to die to free her father, and she did, and then he messed it all up. That's bound to create some daddy issues, and yet here she is working with someone who is basically her uncle to try and kill two little humans who she should be able to obliterate without breaking a sweat." Crowley said, and he could practically hear their brains hurting with the implications he was putting forward.

"Enough of this! Die Crowley!" another hunter yelled, jumping round the corner, only to be met by Crowley's fireball, and screamed before he blew up in a burst of flame.

"Boys, let's be reasonable. Consider, Lilith is dead, she comes back, freed by an angel no less, then knocks me off my perch, can't kill the Winchesters and then joins forces with another angel, who also can't kill the Winchesters, and also happens to be the angel who wants to exterminate us and humanity simply so he can go and retire in style. That to me isn't the choice of a good queen. I may be a demon, but I do have some integrity and morals, I would never actually join forces with some of the scum she's working with. By the way, little state secret, we're pretty much screwed either way. Raphael wins, we all go poof in his Apocalypse. Roman wins, we all get starved into extinction. As you can see, it's a no win proposition for us either way." He said reasonably, and Krell looked at him suspiciously.

"You wouldn't be trying to trick us would you?" he asked, and Crowley affected a look of innocence.

"You wound me Krell, I would never deceive a fellow demon. But, I would like one dead. You see, for Raphael to get what he wants, Lilith has to die. Which means we have no queen. And then, Lucifer is free, win or lose we're pretty much history. For Roman to get what he wants, we all have to die, leaving us, well, dead. That leaves us with one alternative. We help the Winchesters, however distasteful it might be, they kill Lilith and Raphael, then we set them loose against the big mouths and everyone is happy, the cosmos keeps spinning, we do what we do best, we try and kill them, they escape or come back from the dead, bite us in the ass and we're ready for the next time. I admit, the system sucks, and I know you might think Lilith is the one to break it. But, even you boys have to admit, hell was a lot nicer under my command than it was under hers correct?" he asked, and Krell looked at the others, who nodded slightly.

"Yeah, it was a little better and nicer. And you aren't as sadistic as she is, we will give you that." One bounty hunter said, and Crowley smiled.

"Exactly. Lilith is a sadistic, brutal murderess who I must say isn't quite living up to her reputation and you and I both know there's a few demons who are wondering just when she plans to kill the Winchesters. Factions are forming boys." He warned, and Krell nodded.

"We've heard. But she spends so much time up here ineffectually chasing the damn Winchesters that she doesn't know how much trouble she's in. There were at least four other claimants to the throne this morning, bringing the grand total up to a dozen. Thirteen if you want it back." He said, and Crowley smiled.

"I do boys. Tell me, what to you would be an automatic guarantee of the throne?" he asked, and Krell frowned in thought.

"Either killing the Winchesters, or killing Lilith. Averting the Apocalypse might be one too." He said musingly, and Crowley nodded.

"And, with a little more time, I can bring them all about boys. But, even then I might have to fight to reclaim my throne, and to do that I need support. Lucifer loyalists don't want me back in charge. Neither do Lilith loyalists, and they aren't necessarily one in the same. But there are other demonic factions who are rallying against Lilith, wanting to be loyal only to themselves. And that will create a civil war if we're not careful. After all, we heard what happened up in heaven after all with them trying to kill each other. We're demons, we're better than that! At least we're meant to be. And I wouldn't want hell to be caught in a civil war, we're demons, not angels! We're better than them. And if Lilith isn't stopped soon, there will be war. She's never actually on her throne, and that witch of hers isn't a good substitute for her. The factions are getting restless, and that leaves hell ripe for the plucking, and as soon as someone makes a move, we've had it." Crowley said grimly, and Krell eyed him questioningly.

"And you think if you're back in charge you can stop a civil war?" he asked, and Crowley grinned.

"Don't worry Krell. I know that unless I bring all the requirements about, I won't be allowed to become king. But, all I need to do is get in touch with my faction, and then, I can try and do damage control before Lilith, whose obsession with the Winchesters and whose unholy alliance with a freaking angel who wants to obliterate us all, destroys everything we hold so dear. Savvy?" he asked, and Krell gave him a grim smile.

"Got it. And some of the factions, could they be persuaded, to try and avert the chaos Lilith is bringing about?" he asked and Crowley nodded.

"Perhaps, if they're wise enough." He said elusively.

"And you want us to facilitate that for you?" he asked, and Crowley shrugged.

"Oh no, I'm not suggesting anything, after all that would be most improper. Unforgivably indiscreet." He said, and the bounty hunters smiled.

"We got it." Krell said and vanished with his companions.

Crowley smiled. Things were finally moving. This situation couldn't last much longer. It was intolerable. He needed his throne back, or there was no way he was going to survive. Lilith would make sure of that. But, with the Winchesters having ever more reasons to kill Lilith, and with time running out to stop the Apocalypse, they needed to move quickly. Which meant, that with the bounty hunters turned to his side, it was time to begin contacting his own agents. And once he had, the throne would soon be his again.

XX

Emily hissed in pain as the doctor fixed her dislocated shoulder. The fact that the Winchesters had apparently escaped hadn't done anything to improve her mood.

"Well, we worked with them all to kill them. Dean did die, and now he's back! How do they keep coming back from the dead? I mean how is it fair?" Charlie demanded furiously, and she narrowed her eyes.

"You're right, it isn't. Have we got any idea of where they went Garrett?" she asked eyeing him critically.

He nodded, wincing as he touched his damaged head in the process.

"That road leads out of the state, towards Kentucky. Surely the angels or demons know where they might have gone?" he asked, and she narrowed her eyes.

"I'd rather not rely on them again thank you. We'll find them ourselves." She said, and Vance looked at her warily.

"They might not like that." He warned, and she scoffed.

"I don't care. All I want now is Sam Winchester dead. For good. No more comebacks. Shall we?" she asked, ignoring the frightened doctor and she swept out, the others close behind her.

XX

Lilith jumped as a tall black man, with a damaged right eye and a misshapen head appeared all of a sudden next to her. He was tell built, towering over her even sitting down, his milky white eye turned to her in fury as her new car accelerated along the motorway, while she tried to heal the injuries made to her damaged vessel. However, after the rocket had hit her, she was more than willing to just dump this body and get a new body, it would save her a lot of hassle.

"Raphael I take it?" she asked disdainfully, wincing as her scars seared with fresh pain.

"Yes." He said in a growling, husky voice, and she smiled in amusement.

"What happened to your other one?" she asked, nodding at his body and he scowled darkly at her.

"I couldn't avoid one of those damn rockets he was firing around. Even an angel can't keep a vessel together in spite of such an attack. Do you know where they are?" he asked, and she shook her head.

"No, annoyingly. Your little rock slide that you caused hid them from view. While an optimist would assume that means that they are dead, we both know that the Winchesters will survive that through sheer spite for us. As such I assume your little rogue baby angel managed to make them escape and they are most likely currently sunning themselves on the west coast somewhere." She said, and he looked at her in suppressed anger.

"Do not blame this turn of events on me demon." He said through gritted teeth and she glared at him.

"Your little rogue angel has enabled them to escape several times. One of your other angels healed the boy, who then of course healed Sam, and then she and your prized assassin failed to assassinate the Winchesters adequately. You have also allowed them to escape several times yourself Raphael, and your aim, frankly, sucks. So I think that it is you who are more to blame for this turn of events than anyone else." She hissed, and Raphael glowered, trying to keep his temper in check.

"Yet if you didn't like to play with your food, then the Winchesters would be dead already." He retorted, and she cocked an eyebrow at him.

"I admit I've let them go, but perhaps that is subconscious on my part. After all, they die, you get that much closer to obliterating me so you can have your cheap remake of the Apocalypse." She said scathingly, and Raphael glowered at her.

"The Apocalypse will be just fine demon. And, with the Winchesters gone, even for the time being, I don't see why I need you around any longer." He said, and she looked at him dismissively.

"The Winchesters may be gone for the moment but they will be back angel. And when they are they will once again meddle with both of our plans." She hissed, and he stared at her contemptuously.

"And why do I suspect that given half a chance you will try to meddle with my plans as well?" he asked, and she shrugged.

"I was all for it at first, the first time round and after I came back. But I forgot how much fun being a queen can be, and I don't intend to let anyone take that away from me. My saintly father screwed up. He let Sam throw him back into the cage with Michael, and so the waste of space is back where he belongs and out of my life. Which means hell is mine for the taking, and once this all blows up in your face as I'm sure it will, I will be able to go about things my way." She hissed at him, and he looked at her hatefully.

"I should have known we couldn't work together. If not for your interference both Winchesters would be dead. But no, some minor demon with delusions of grandeur who is hiding from you keeps bringing them back!"

"And if not for you, they would both be dead, but you ballsed it up." She said tartly, and he raised his hand, and she did the same with her own, eyes shimmering.

"You are fortunate demon that I cannot kill you. However I can obliterate what remains of your vessel!" he shouted, and with a pained screech, Lilith's vessel was destroyed, and a black cloud swirled out of the limo, forcing the driver to follow her.

Raphael harrumphed in fury, and considering blasting the other demon, but decided against it. After all, he needed her for later, and delaying her might mess up his plans. Grunting, he fluttered away.

XX

Aimo awoke to find himself being protectively covered by Sam, who was in turn being sheltered by Dean. He opened his eyes, seeing the coach still relatively intact and filled with dust, but still intact at least, with the roof only slightly dented in.

Dean groaned and got to his feet, pulling Sam up and checking him over, and he then proceeded to check over Aimo too, before swatting at some of the dust.

"Is everyone alright?" he asked as he took a look at what had happened.

Several football sized rocks had smashed through the window, showering him with glass as they had done so, leading to several cuts which Sam was now checking delicately. Two sharp rocks had also fallen through the large windscreen, but it was clear from the swearing that was coming from the cabin that both Missouri and Garth were fine. However, a large jagged rock, the one responsible for all the dust that was now filling the coach, had plunged through the sunroof, and had come close to crushing them all.

But, as Dean looked, he saw it had indeed crushed someone.

"Oh no..." Dean whispered, and rushed to the side of the fallen person.

Marge was trapped, her eyes closed, her the point of the rock having cleaved right through her stomach. Dean knelt down beside her and checked for a pulse, and shook his head sadly as the others, all coughing and groaning gathered around her fallen form.

"Aunt...aunt Marge?" Garth asked softly, seeing the crushed form of his aunt, his lip trembling, and he went to her side, tears forming in his eyes as he saw his last family member leave him behind.

"Garth, I'm so sorry..." Sam said softly as Garth looked at his aunt's face, tears falling from his eyes.

"Wait, no, you can't be." He pleaded, tugging as the wrist that wasn't crushed, but to no avail.

"Oh Garth..." Missouri said sadly, squeezing his shoulder sympathetically as he cried over his aunt's fallen form.

"This is my fault...I couldn't get us out in time, I tried but it wasn't enough, so I tried to make a shield instead, but I couldn't..." Aimo said sadly and Jody pulled the kid to her and hugged him.

"Sweetie, it wasn't your fault you tried your best. There was nothing more you could have done." She assured him, and Marion, looking grimly at Marge, frowned and clasped the boys shoulder.

"And you did save the rest of us son, don't forget that." He said as Aimo cried.

"So, we survived...but are we still under the rockslide?" Meg asked, and Reynolds squinted up through the broken windows and nodded.

"Yeah, we seem to be. But I think I can hear digging, there must be people trying to get us out." He said, giving Garth a sympathetic look as he howled into Missouri's embrace.

"So what do we do? Wait for them to get us out?" Missouri asked, rocking Garth gently.

Dean shook his head, blinking tears from his eyes.

"No, we can't. We need to get out of here, because it'll be the authorities who bust us out of here, and they'll arrest the lot of us." He said, and he turned to Aimo, taking him gently by the shoulders.

"Aimo...I know it's asking a lot, but can you get us out of here?" he asked, and the angel, red eyed, nodded.

"I, I think so." He said, keeping his head bowed, and Dean squeezed his shoulder comfortingly.

"It wasn't your fault." He assured him, and Aimo nodded, tears in his eyes.

And with a great heave of effort, he got the coach out from under the rocks, sending the remaining ones tumbling down the hillside as the mound collapsed.

XX

Once Aimo had gotten them to a forest in Kentucky, had repaired the damage and had removed the rock, they assembled outside and gave Marge a proper send off, watching as her body was consumed by the flames.

Meg leaned in towards Sam, her eyes narrowed and hard.

"She was going to die anyway." She whispered, and he glared at her.

"A little defeatist Meg." He retorted, but she shook her head.

"No, you don't get it. In the battle she was fighting Duane. And now I can smell it. During the fight he infected her with Croatoan." She whispered, and Sam's blood went cold.

Croatoan. The deadly demonic virus that drove people into terrible, murderous rages, making them zombies before they disappeared without a trace, leaving nothing behind at all.

"You're sure?" he asked darkly, and she nodded.

"There's no mistaking it. And now I come to think of it, I'm sure Duane was the one in charge of the initial dose of Croatoan, he worked for Azazel." She said, and Sam frowned.

Just what they needed, a demonic bio weapon in the charge of an insane scientist working for an even more insane boss.

"Brilliant." He cursed as they watched Marge's body disappear.

XX

Dean pointedly ignored Bobby as they all climbed back into the coach, and Sam sent the old hunter an apologetic look as he did so before sitting beside his brother. Garth sat down opposite them, Meg beside him, and she passed him a strong whiskey. After toasting Marge, they got down to business.

"Alright, first thing's first. Aimo, this sigil thing that made Bobby stab me, are we sure it's gone? Meg?" Sam asked the two of them, and Aimo looked at Bobby and shrugged.

"I'm sorry Sam but I don't know what it is I'm looking for. It might still be in him, it might not." He said worriedly, and Meg frowned thoughtfully.

"I can see what she did to make you do it, it works the same principle as the link I used to make sure you couldn't exorcise me out of Sam's body. It makes them act against their will, the one doing the branding brands them with a specific idea in mind, which must have been to assassinate one of you two, and then when the time is right they have no choice but to do it. It seems to be gone, but it might reappear, I wouldn't put it past Lilith to have a contingency plan." She said, and Jody looked at her.

"So Bobby had no control?" she asked, and Meg shook her head.

"None at all. But he won't know if it comes back either, I might not know until it's too late. And before you get any ideas," she said, seeing Bobby was about to open his mouth, "the only way you can stop it is to kill the one who did the branding, in this case Lilith. Even your own death wouldn't affect it." She explained, and Bobby grunted.

"Balls."

"Second problem. I think it's safe to say we have more than enough problems going on without every state police in the business targeting us if they get lucky and find out about Sam and Dean being on board. We need to get rid of the price on their head." Reynolds said, and Dean snorted humourlessly.

"And how do you intend for me to do that? Everyone thinks I'm an insane mass murderer, who turned on my own brother and after my shooting last night they're going to think I'm even worse." Dean said, and Reynolds nodded.

"I know. And Valente is out there too, and there's most likely someone looking for me now it's been so long since I've reported in." He said, frowning.

"Do you have an idea?" Bobby asked, and Reynolds nodded.

"Yes. I report in in person." He said, and they all looked at him as though he were mad.

"Are you crazy? If you do you'll probably be arrested for conspiracy if nothing else. And even if you aren't, they'll interrogate you about where Dean is, and that will lead them right back to us." Tamara said, and Reynolds made a thoughtful noise in his throat.

"Aimo, is there anywhere you can't go?" he asked, and Aimo frowned a little, then shook his head.

"Other than places marked with Enochian symbols, this place doesn't matter because I live here technically, and hell, then yeah. Oh, and anywhere other than a zoo in Australia, I didn't quite grasp the concept of zoos and opened all the cages, the owners weren't pleased." He said sheepishly, and Sam grinned a little.

"Good. So, I will head to the FBI headquarters building and insist on seeing the director. Considering how big this case is, I think he will want to see me. Hmm, mind you if he's a big mouth..." he said, and Sam frowned.

"We know a witch who can freeze time, pity we can't call her, she could help." He said, and Aimo looked at him.

"I might be able to. Only for a second or two but I think I can manage it." He said, and Dean looked at him sceptically.

"Really buddy? You're burning the candle at all three ends as it is." He said worriedly, and Marion leaned close to Cox.

"Three ends?" he asked, and Cox shrugged.

"I can do it." Aimo said determinedly.

"Ai-" Dean said, and abruptly went still.

Sam looked at his brother, and then waved his hand in front of his face, and he looked at Aimo in surprise, who was grinning widely.

"You did it. I'm impressed. But, could you unfreeze him? I mean, I know he's annoying but I do sort of like having him around. And besides, it makes me think of when he got turned to stone." He said worriedly, and with a blink Dean unfroze.

"-mo, we can't take that risk." Dean said, and then saw them all grinning widely.

"What?" he asked, and Sam nodded to Aimo.

"He froze you." He said, and Dean sat back, flabbergasted.

"Alright. So, I go in, and insist on reporting in person. All being well, he lets me see him. I call Aimo, he freezes him, we check him, and then, we explain all this, including Valente's true nature." He said, and Missouri looked at him incredulously.

"Are you mad? There's no way he's going to believe all that." She said, and Reynolds held up a finger, smiling slightly.

"Yes he will. He'll also believe what I tell him about the boys too." He said confidently, and Tamara looked at him sceptically.

"You're placing an awful lot of faith in this boss of yours. Are you sure about this?" she asked, and he nodded.

"Yes. But I'm going to need a bit of help." He said, smiling a little, and they all looked at each other in confusion.

XX

"Boys?" Bobby asked as Sam and Dean cleaned their guns, in preparation for Reynolds plan.

"Be nice." Sam hissed to his brother, who shot him a dirty look.

"We need to talk." Bobby said, sitting down on the bed beside them.

"Yeah, we do." Dean said, earning him a kick from Sam due to the hostile tone in his voice.

"Dean, you can drop the tone. I had no idea, believe me, no idea that it was Lilith who had brought me back. And you know the last thing I would want to do is hurt either you or Sam." Bobby said earnestly, and Sam smiled.

"I know that Bobby. I know you didn't mean it. After all, you aren't the first person I love who's nearly killed me." He said, trying to make Dean smile a little but he was wasting his breath.

Bobby looked directly at Sam.

"Sam, you know I wouldn't try to kill you. You're like my own son. The clever smart one, the one I'll send off to college to earn a living to put me in a nice retirement home." He said, and Sam grinned.

"I know that Bobby. Besides, it's only fair. I tried to kill you when I was soulless, and you still liked me." He said, hesitating a little as he remembered that it had taken a while for Bobby to get over that, remembering the frightened looks he had given Sam, the ones that had made Sam spend as much time as possible out the house so as not to make Bobby feel uncomfortable. Until Dean found out what was going on and lost it, told Bobby that he was being an idiot and didn't rest until he and Sam had made up.

"True." Bobby admitted, and Dean sighed.

"I know it wasn't your fault Bobby, I know you couldn't control it. You were, possessed, I suppose, and I get that I do. I know you wouldn't hurt Sam. It's just, with everything that's happened recently, with the amount of times he's died, I'm just a little, nervous when someone hurts him." He said quietly, and Sam rolled his eyes in exasperation.

Bobby nodded in understanding.

"I know that Dean. And I do get it, how much it's ingrained in you to protect him. And the last thing I wanted to do was make you think I was out to kill him. If you'd been in his position, it would have been you I attacked. I get that you're rattled and the last thing any of us need is me trying to kill your little brother, but I swear I didn't do it on purpose, I wasn't consciously trying to hurt him." He said gruffly but earnestly, and Dean nodded.

"I know Bobby. And I'm sorry, it's just the thought of someone else turning on us, you especially, that scares me." Dean said softly, and Sam looked at his brother, before Aimo called his name.

"Sam! Can you come out and help? I've sort of frozen everyone and I can't figure out how to fix it!" he cried pitifully, and grinning, Sam went to help out the young angel.

"Bobby..." Dean said, but Bobby shook his head.

"Ach don't worry about it boy, I deserved it, even if I had no choice. I did just try to kill your baby brother, and if there's one thing your daddy did right, it was teach you to protect him above all else...even yourself sometimes." He said, slightly stern, and Dean smiled a little.

"I know you had no choice Bobby. And I'm sorry I was so oestrogen fest because of it all, but with him dying, and everyone out to get him, the last person I expected to hurt him was you, it just shook me. It was like Cas all over again, seeing someone I care about trying to hurt him and succeeding. I panicked, and when I panic, I get even more overprotective of him than usual. Just...please don't do it again. He nearly died Bobby. Fair enough I was dead at the time, but, just the thought of him dying again...even getting hurt again, I can't cope with it. Especially if someone I care about is the one who does it." Dean whispered, and Bobby nodded, patting his knee.

"I know Dean. I do get it. And that's why I'm going to ask you to do something for me. You're going to hate me for it, I know you are, but I can't take the risk of hurting either of you boys, or anyone else for that matter, and if Lilith is Skynetting me, I want it stopped." He said, and Dean sent him a hard look that shut the old hunter up.

"Don't you dare do what I think you're going to do. Sam asked me, and I couldn't, and I won't do it to you either." He said angrily, and Bobby nodded.

"I know it isn't fair asking you to do it Dean, and I feel horrible asking. But, if I need to be stopped, I need to know I will be stopped. Before I hurt either of you. So, if I go dark, you send my grizzly ass straight to hell." He said, and Dean shook his head, tears in his eyes.

"You can't ask me to do that Bobby. I just got you back, you were dead, and however you came back, whatever you did, you still came back. And I just killed Sam by accident, and fought my own father, and I really can't hurt someone else in my family. Ok?" he asked angrily, and Bobby nodded grimly.

"I know son. But, no one else? Not even Cas?" he asked leadingly, and Dean gave a little smile.

"Yeah, maybe Cas. After all, this is all his damn fault." Dean said bitterly, and Bobby laughed as he went out to see how Sam and Aimo were doing at unfreezing everyone, hoping that he would never have to get Dean to carry out what he had asked him to do.

XX

Reynolds had caused quite the stir when he had appeared, walking through the doors of the FBI headquarters in Washington. Showing his passcard, he attracted strange, questioning looks and whispers as he proceeded through the building, but he appeared unaffected as he headed to the office of the director, who he had requested to see in person, and to his great relief, he had agreed.

His secretary scanned his passcard, gave him a slightly suspicious look and allowed him entry into the officer of Robert Mueller, the director of the FBI.

"Agent Reynolds, I must admit I was intrigued to hear your request to see me. We gave you up for dead days ago." Mueller said, shaking his hand in greeting.

"I'm sorry sir, I've been working the case." Reynolds said, sitting as Mueller indicated.

"The Winchester case. I know, but I was afraid you were dead? Where is the rest of your unit though? And have you seen Agent Valente, he was chasing the Winchesters as well and we haven't received word from him either." Mueller said, his dark, intelligent eyes narrowed as he surveyed the man in front of him.

Reynolds took a deep breath. This was it. He hoped that if Mueller had him carted off, Aimo could get him out. Either way, he was in for the long haul now.

"Sir, this is going to sound insane, and I know that it is. But, in the past little while I've been travelling with the Winchesters. And believe me, they aren't guilty of the crimes we think they are." He said, and Mueller's eyes widened in surprise.

"Well Reynolds, I don't know what I expected, but that certainly wasn't it. You do know of course that we have every sort of footage imaginable of those boys slaughtering innocent civilians and of Dean Winchester nearly murdering his brother? And there's also the fact that he seems to have killed his brother in Brandon, though I must admit I'm clueless as to how he got round that one when the boy was dead. How do you justify this amazing statement?" Mueller asked, his hand hesitating over the phone.

"Sir, I know this will sound crazy...but the supernatural exists. Things that we pass off as fables, myths, legends, they actually exist." Reynolds said, and looked curiously at Mueller as his hand moved away from the phone, his eyes fixed on Reynolds.

"Go on." He said, and surprise, Reynolds did.

"Ghosts, vampires, werewolves, angels, demons, all of them exist. The Winchesters hunt these creatures and protect people from their attacks. And it was a particularly dangerous sort of creature, called a Leviathan, that perpetrated those murders, assuming the form of Sam and Dean in order to do so. These Leviathans are the most dangerous monsters the boys have faced, and have infiltrated all over America. They committed the murders Sam and Dean are accused of." He said, and Mueller looked at him as if he were crazy.

"Reynolds, this is preposterous, there's no such thing..." Mueller said, though his eyes didn't meet Reynolds as he said it.

"Believe me sir. There is. Aimo!" he called, and Mueller jumped out of his seat as Aimo appeared beside Reynolds, and blinked, freezing Mueller.

"Quick, let's check he isn't a Leviathan." Reynolds said, taking the director's letter opener as Aimo flashed Sam and Dean into the office.

Reynolds poked him, and then stood back.

"Well, he isn't a Leviathan, I think, what sort of creature doesn't bleed?" Reynolds asked the room, and Aimo shrugged.

"I don't know, humans red, dragons green, Leviathans black is all I know." He muttered, and Dean grinned.

"Um guys? He's frozen. Which means his blood is frozen too." He said, and it clicked, and Reynolds laughed in embarrassment.

"You do feel a fool don't you? Alright, let him go." Reynolds said, and his boss was unfrozen, and he promptly yelped in pain as red blood emerged from his hand.

"Phew." Sam said, and Mueller looked at them both in surprise.

"You pair, how did you, where did the, what is going on here?" he demanded angrily, and Aimo smiled at him.

"Sir, the supernatural exists. I myself am an angel. And believe me, Sam and Dean aren't murderers. In fact they're the best humans on this planet, and if it weren't for them, no one else would be here, they've saved the world more times than I can count. Mind you I'm only a kid and counting isn't my strong suit." He admitted lamely.

Mueller looked at the angel in shock, then looked at the two wanted men standing in the shadows of his office.

"I think Reynolds, you better do some explaining as to what the hell is going on here before I have this pair arrested." Mueller said angrily, and Reynolds, Sam and Dean, occasionally backed up by Aimo, began to tell him everything that had happened and what was happening.

Half an hour later, Mueller was standing looking out of his window, frowning.

"So, you're telling me that these Leviathans that have been set loose, can clone themselves into people and are now preparing to turn America into a fast food restaurant, and are being led by one of the richest men in the world. On top of that, an angel is trying to bring about the Apocalypse all over again and destroy the world because he's fed up of having to watch after humans. You're also telling me that the murders committed by these Winchesters were not in fact committed by them, nor was the Brandon massacre, but rather by these Leviathans who framed them, just as Dean was framed for the murder of his brother, who is quite clearly alive. And the crowning turd in the water pipe, you're telling me that Agent Valente is also a Leviathan?" he asked, turning to them in disbelief, and Dean looked at the man.

"Believe me, he's a Leviathan, he killed me yesterday, ripped me to shreds before Crowley brought me back." He explained, and Mueller sagged into his chair.

"As it happens, I know of the supernatural. Some cases get sent to me when there is no obvious reason, and they get filed away under paranormal. I've had killings by ghosts and demons, we have our eyes on a bunch of vigilantes spread all over the world, and on a family of witches in San Francisco and in Madison. But, even with that, it doesn't compare to what you four are telling me. Angels, demons, Apocalypses, Leviathans...it's hard to believe. Especially about Valente. Reynolds, you and he came up together, and you believe he is a monster?" Mueller asked, and he nodded.

"Yes sir. Believe me, I've seen him in action and I saw him kill Dean. He's a monster all right. And everything we've told you is very real." He said grimly, and passed the director a DVD that he had acquired with Aimo's help.

Mueller went pale as he saw the fight outside the Sandover building, and clearly saw, through the camera, Valente reveal his true nature and then leap at Dean and rip him to shreds. Sam turned away at that point, unable to watch his brother dying a second time.

Mueller sat back, weak from his discoveries. And if Valente was indeed a monster, and there was indeed two versions of the Apocalypse coming, then it seemed like he had but one choice.

"Very well. You vouch that these boys didn't kill the people they're accused of killing?" Mueller asked, and Sam looked at him incredulously.

"Um yeah, especially with Dean killing me. He didn't, it was Zachariah, and when he did he didn't mean it, and it was an accident." He said, and Mueller looked at him incredulously, but decided to ignore it.

He got to his feet and strolled to the window, looking out at the city, and in the distance, the White House.

"These Leviathans...can you stop them?" Mueller asked, and Dean nodded.

"We intend to. But to do that, first we need to stop Raphael and his buddies from torching the globe." He said, and Mueller made a thoughtful sound.

"Alright. But, even with this evidence, I can't do anything until Valente is neutralised." He said, and Aimo looked at him curiously.

"What does that mean?"

"He means dead. So what do we do?" Sam asked, and Mueller clutched his chin in thought.

"Alright. I can send out a message, telling people that you are armed and dangerous and under no circumstances are they to engage you, no matter their strength. I'll tell them that you can only be taken down by one of our crack teams. Basically, I'm saying you're too dangerous to confront. That should keep the authorities off of your tail for a while, as I won't actually order in our special forces. Valente is now to be treated as a rogue agent, and any means necessary to bring him down must be enforced. And also, I trust it goes without saying that I sort of need the Apocalypse stopped." He said, and Dean nodded.

"Deal. We stop the Apocalypse, deal with your rogue agent. Then what?" he asked, and Mueller looked calculatingly at him.

"If you manage to stop the world from ending and deal with Valente, then you focus your attention on the rest of the Leviathans. But, if you meet the first two provisos, I will announce your innocence and that you were working with me all along to flush out the true perpetrator, a mole within the department, which will be slightly true. Total blank slate, no previous convictions, your names back and able to do whatever you please once again. While I don't condone vigilantes, it seems to me that you boys are doing a lot of good regardless of your methods, and I would prefer if you kept doing it. Especially considering what would happen if the public found out about what you fight. Do we have a deal?" Mueller asked, and the brothers looked at each other and nodded.

"Deal. But, how are you going to explain it?" Dean asked, and Mueller frowned.

"I'll think of something. I'll also assign Reynolds to stay with you, to make sure nothing happens to you. If you encounter any trigger happy police, call me, I'll deal with them. Regular reports if you please. Understood?" he asked, and Reynolds nodded.

"Yes sir."

"Good man. Now, good luck. I think you're going to need it." He said, and the meeting clearly over, Aimo took a hold of Sam and Dean and fluttered out.

"Reynolds..." Mueller said as he approached the door.

"Yes sir?" he asked, and Mueller frowned.

"All this, my knowledge of what goes bump in the night, must stay strictly between us. And I will expect a full report on the deaths of the other agents, marked for my eyes only, understood?"

"Yes sir." Reynolds said.

He once more turned to leave, and Mueller stopped him again.

"These boys, do you think they could be used in other circumstances?" Mueller asked, and Reynolds shrugged.

"Possibly sir, but I would advise against it. As the two of them are defying archangels, I would expect them to be slightly reluctant to take orders."

Mueller frowned.

"Could they be coerced?" he asked, and Reynolds nodded hesitantly.

"Yes, but I would advise against that too. Bad things tend to happen to those who threaten the Winchesters." He said, and Mueller nodded.

"Very well. Good luck stopping the Apocalypse. And stay alive Reynolds. I want you to keep an eye on the Winchesters. I'm not in the habit of losing access to useful resources. Especially ones I have to cover up for. I don't think this is the last myself and the Winchesters have seen of each other. And Reynolds, this stays strictly between us also." He warned, and Reynolds nodded.

"As you wish sir." He said, and ignoring the worried feeling in his gut, finally made his escape.

XX

Aimo flashed to where they had left the coach, back in Kentucky.

"Can we trust him?" Sam asked, and Dean scoffed.

"About as far as we can throw him Sammy." He said, then frowned.

It was quiet. Too quiet. The others had all been outside, stretching their legs and had decided to stay put until they got back so they could figure out their next move together, once Aimo brought back Reynolds. So where were they?

"Bobby? Garth? Jody?" Dean called, and the door of the coach opened, to reveal Crowley, still looking slightly woebegone, but now looking a lot more dangerous, and this time he was backed up by a tall hulking man with short grey hair.

"Hello boys." He said in greeting, and the three boys narrowed their eyes as the demon revealed himself.

"Crowley. What are you doing here?" Sam asked, tensing up as several other demons came out of the trees, eyes black, leering dangerously.

"Oh, it isn't me you have to worry about. It's him." Crowley said, getting out of the coach and looking to the top of the set of stairs.

A woman descended it and sent the boys a cold look. But then, someone dressed in an immaculate grey suit descended the stairs and gave them a smug smile, and Sam raised his arm to block Dean before he leapt at the man and got them all killed.

"Sam. Dean. Aimo I believe, nice to meet you. Why don't you come inside? We have a lot to talk about." Dick Roman said, his bifurcated tongue slipping between his human teeth as he smiled widely, and Dean covered Sam protectively and Aimo huddled close to Sam as Leviathans also appeared from the forest, standing side by side with the demons and looking at the trapped Winchesters in malicious delight.

**Now what? Roman and Crowley, what could they be wanting with the boys? And where are the others?**

**RIP Marge. I put her fate to a friend and she said kill her, so its all her fault.  
**

**And now, the boys are unofficially working with the FBI. Apologies if the depictions are off, I dont know much about Washington or much about America either, but that might change next year, I'm doing American history. And now, Mueller, who is a real life person according to wikipedia, thinks that he might be able to use the boys for some other purpose, which might come up in the next series of stories.  
**

**Full points to you if you get the shout outs in this chapter, one will be quite easy I expect, but the other two perhaps not so much, but all of them are mentioned by Mueller. Speaking of which, the lead bounty hunter is also a shoutout if you get it, from the same universe as Mueller mentioned.  
**

**Raphael's new vessel is based on Tommy Lister. But I'm at a loss for what Lilith's new vessel should look like, if anyone has any suggestions, please let me know!  
**

**So, what will happen next for the boys? What do Roman and Crowley want? Will Dean be forced to kill Bobby if Lilith uses him again? And more importantly, seeing as how close we are to the end, how are we going to stop all the big bads still chasing us because we're running out of time! Death makes an appearance next chapter, as do some other old enemies as the boys get increasingly desperate as time really begins to run out.  
**

**So next time, we have a death, a plan and events start heading to the final shinding, and you'll never guess where it will take place! I think there's only three chapters left as well, so soon we'll be finished!  
**

**Anyway, hope you're still enjoying this, hopefully it will be updated tomorrow and as always, above all else, please read and review review review!  
**


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural**

Bleeding Storm

Dean glared hatefully at Roman, wanting nothing more than to leap at him and tear his head off with his bare hands.

"Shall we?" Roman asked, heading back into the coach, and Crowley followed him in, leaving their goons outside.

"What do we do?" Sam whispered to Dean, and Aimo looked at them.

"I could get us out of here." He offered, but Dean shook his head.

"We don't know what he's done to the others. And considering he didn't eat us when we first got here, I actually think he might want to talk." Dean said, and Sam looked at him in surprise.

"And you want to listen to him, considering who he is and what he's done? He..."

"I know what he did and who he killed Sam. But, I reckon the others must still be inside, so we need to at least go in and check it out. Besides, if Roman gets mouthy, we have insurance." Dean whispered darkly, and Sam saw his hand reach for the scythe and move it so it was easily accessible before they entered.

Roman and Crowley were sitting at the table, and the others were all at the back of the coach, tied up and gagged, the cold looking woman who worked for Roman standing in front of them. Roman looked up at them and gestured for them to sit down.

"Please." He said, and Sam glowered at the leader of all the Leviathans.

"Considering this is our coach, we're the ones who should be asking you to sit down." He growled, and Roman laughed.

"But I already have. Now, unless you start cooperating and doing what I say, I'm going to let Suzan have a spot of lunch. Clear?" he asked, his voice still pleasant, but the boys immediately turned to Suzan who was leering over Bobby.

Roman smiled.

"After all, I dislike having to kill my opponents twice, and frankly, I think that he ought to be dead already, yet here he is. So, unless you start playing ball, your daddy figure is going to get a rather gruesome haircut. Sit down." He ordered, and glowering at him, wanting nothing more than to kill the Leviathan, Dean sat down beside Crowley, while Sam sat beside Roman, looking at the Leviathan untrustingly.

Bobby muttered something behind his gag, but Roman simply ignored him as he turned to the three others, and Crowley leaned forward.

"Alright. Forty seven seals have now been broken, and the angelic garrison is breaking more every day. We're running out of time to stop the Apocalypse." He said, and Dean looked at him sceptically.

"We?" he asked, and Crowley glared at him.

"Look you arrogant little thug, while you might think we are all the same, most demons do not want another Apocalypse. In fact, that is probably the only thing Lilith and I agree on at the moment. If it starts, we all die. Not just demons, not just humans, angels too. Total annihilation." He said, and Roman looked at him in disgust.

"And if everyone else is annihilated, we don't get what we want. And besides, very few Leviathans will be able to survive if the two strongest archangels are set loose. Only I might be able to hold them off and I would need to assume my true form if I was to do so, and believe me, you don't want me stomping all over creation, it's much better off if I'm in human form." He said, and Sam gave him a cold smile.

"So even you guys are afraid of archangels." He said, and Roman glowered.

"Don't get too trigger happy sport, your pal Raphael can't harm us. But the other two might be able to, and the buffet line being cleaned out before we get to it doesn't fit in with our plans." He said curtly, eyes narrowed.

"So what, you want to join forces and stop Raphael from torching the globe?" Dean asked, and Crowley frowned.

"That isn't the only problem. He's cutting too many corners. It's bad enough that he actually intends to use the backup vessels for the Apocalypse, that was never meant to happen. You pair were meant to be good little pawns and say yes and let them play tug of war until one of you was dead. He's also forcing other seals to open, like the fifteen sailors going blind, he forced that on us all too. He's desperate enough to cut all these corners, and that is subverting destiny, which means it could very well bite us all in the behind."

Aimo frowned.

"Raphael always said that he wanted you two to be the vessels, like you were meant to be. Maybe he's learnt from Zachariah's mistakes, maybe he knows now you can't be forced." He said, and Dean smiled grimly.

"Damn right we won't. But, if Lilith is opposed to the Apocalypse, why isn't she trying to stop it?" he asked, and Crowley smirked.

"For a start, she can't. Raphael blasted her out of her vessel, she's shopping for a new one. And what's more, there's nearly civil war in hell. Her failures to kill you, her working with an archangel who wants to kill us all, and working with the Leviathans who also want the same thing," he said, nodding to Roman, "have undermined her credibility. There's also the fact that her predecessor is running around amok and, albeit through a distasteful method, is also trying to stop the Apocalypse out of concern for hell, rather than self preservation, which believe me is her only reason for doing this. And the fact that she can't kill you, at least not permanently, have also destroyed her credibility, as is her reliance on former demons who were loyal to her rather than to any of the new ones powerful enough to be in an inner circle. She's also been absent from her throne for too long, she's spending too much time up here, and is leaving herself open to attack down there, and that always makes demons, edgy shall we say." He explained, and Roman smirked.

"So hell is about to fall into civil war?" Aimo asked, and Crowley smirked.

"It would be, had certain faction leaders not mysteriously been killed or placed on the rack. I've met up with my supporters, and the other groups are coming round to my way of thinking. Lilith is losing support fast. And a fair few demons prefer my version of hell, much easier on the eye than hers, and good service isn't rewarded by torture at all, not just less torture. I'm nearly in a position to take back my throne by force. But, in order to do that, I need Lilith sufficiently distracted, and that means she needs to be focused on something other than meatsuit shopping." He explained.

"And where do you figure into all this?" Dean asked, and Roman smiled smugly.

"My plan is almost ready. The plan does not include the angels kicking off an Apocalypse any time soon. Now, you want to save the world for the humans. He wants to save the world for the demons. We want to save it so we can trash it ourselves. Either way, the Apocalypse needs to be stopped, and soon. I've lost too many Leviathans already trying to circumvent the angels, but it isn't working, there's too many of them. And there's also Valente to consider." He said distastefully, and Sam smirked a little.

"Yeah, seeing how you look down on all of us, I can't imagine you're too happy with him joining with Raphael and Lilith." He said, and Roman scowled.

"He's gone rogue, in all senses of the word. Which means he needs to be killed, and soon. The ones working with him are accomplices and need to die too."

"So why come and talk to us? We're already trying to stop it, why make the point of coming to us?" Dean asked, and Roman sneered.

"Believe me, we didn't want to. I picked up your scent in Ohio, and I assume this bottom feeder knew where to find you anyway. The thing is, we're running out of time. You are the only ones who can end this in a manner that befits all of us, and we want you to do it sooner rather than later. So, here's the deal. You stop the Apocalypse, kill Raphael and Lilith, and Valente, and I in turn let you get away from here scot free, and don't spend my time hunting you down if you should fail." Roman said, and Aimo looked at him in disgust.

"Not much of a victory." He said, and Roman smiled.

"Say what you want kid, I have all the cards. You either do what I want you to do, or you die here and now. And in case you're thinking that scythe will work on me, it won't. It'll work on Valente and his friends, but not on me, I'm too powerful for that." He said smugly, and Dean couldn't tell if he was lying and resorted to scowling instead.

"Yeah, but that still doesn't explain why you came here to us. We would do that without your say so, and feel a hell of a lot better about it." Sam said, and Roman smirked.

"Quite right. Problem is, we know how long you have left to do it before you all die. And if the Apocalypse restarts, you're going to have Michael on your ass, in your little brother's body and wouldn't that be depressing?" Roman asked, and Dean glowered.

"And you would undoubtedly love every minute of it." He snarled, but he was secretly fearing what state Adam would be in, after all, it was his fault he was still down there, he had chosen to save Sam.

And the thought of Michael coming after Sam because Sam had taken him out too terrified him.

Roman looked at Dean angrily.

"Look you pathetic little mutation, this Apocalypse screws us all over. But, considering you told Michael to stick it, he isn't going to be happy, and neither is he going to be happy with Sam either considering it's thanks to him he's just spent the last few millennia down there with no one but his bratty, spoilt brother for company and only two chew toys to play with, and you took one of them away from him. You think he is going to leave your darling little Sammy alone if he gets out? He isn't. So, while I don't deny the thought of you two being smited into oblivion isn't great, we sort of need each other." He said angrily, and Aimo looked at him curiously.

"How?" he asked suspiciously.

Crowley sighed irritably.

"Because the Apocalypse is going to go off in three days time, which means you have three days to come up with a plan to stop Raphael and Lilith, kill them both and save the world."

Sam nodded as realisation hit.

"So that's why you need us. You might be able to stop it, but with you trying to stop the other seals breaking, you'll be worrying about that rather than Raphael actually doing what he's doing. Which means you might not be able to stop him opening the cage. So you need us to risk our necks and go after him to stop him, and if we fail, then you can try yourselves." He said, and Roman smiled.

"I'm a businessman. I'm good with calculations. And getting rid of you in the process definitely makes for a good turnover." He said, and Dean cursed.

"You sure it's three days?" he asked darkly, and Crowley nodded.

"Yes, but while I want the Apocalypse stopped too, I'm not quite so fussy. I just want Lilith distracted so I can retake my throne. Which means, either way, we need you boys. Savvy?" Crowley asked, and Dean looked at Sam and nodded reluctantly.

"Fine. We'll worry about saving the world, you just sit back and watch the show. Now get out." Dean ordered angrily, and Crowley whistled, and a second later, vanished.

"Pleasure doing business with you. And try to succeed boys, because I don't like bad investments. And even if you fail, I'm still sure we'll be seeing each other very soon." Roman said with a smug smile, and beckoned to Suzan before leaving the coach, his other Leviathans following him.

Sam was about to speak when Aimo held up a hand, closed his eyes and concentrated. The boys barely had time to exchange confused glances before he flashed the coach away once again, far away from their meeting place with the Leviathans and the demons.

XX

With Reynolds, who seemed very quiet for some reason, back in the coach after Aimo picked him up, and after Sam and Dean had freed the less than impressed others, they got down to business.

"So, we have three days in which to stop the Apocalypse. Three days to deal with the bad guys, or else the world's a goner." Tamara said in mock cheer, and Meg leaned back, sucking the inside of her cheek.

"Alright. So three days, and we also have to somehow keep Lilith distracted too. And if we fail, Crowley either kills us, the Leviathans eat us or we get incinerated in Armageddon. So we need suggestions people." She said, and Bobby frowned.

"The problem is, we can't even try and stop the seals breaking, not with the angels actively trying to kill us all now. So that option's out. I reckon the best thing we can do is kill Lilith, either way, she's the last seal. We kill her early, it might not go off." He said, and Dean frowned.

"But she still has to die, and there's no way of telling how early we'll be. It won't do us much good if we kill her and find out later on that he broke seal number sixty five right before it, we'll get the Apocalypse anyway. The only way we can assure that we don't kick it off by accident is if we kill her in the next day or so." He said, and Sam, who was pacing, suddenly turned to look at him, his face thoughtful.

"What if we could?" he asked, and Dean looked at him in confusion.

"What do you mean?" he asked in confusion, wondering where he was going with this.

Sam began to pace along the passage of the coach.

"Part of the problem at the moment is the fact that we have so many bad guys. We might have got the FBI off our case," he said, looking at Reynolds clouded expression worriedly, "and killed the dragon, but we still have hunters, demons, Leviathans, vampires and angels all after us. That's why we haven't been able to get rid of any of them effectively, even though we have the means to do it. So, what if we could force them into a battle of our choosing? Force them to fight us on our terms?" he asked, and Bobby nodded slowly.

"Alright, I see the point in that, but that still doesn't explain how we stop Raphael, or how we even lure him to us in the first place." He said, and Sam looked hesitant.

"Sammy?" Dean asked, and Sam took a breath.

"Well, if we force them into a battle, I suggest we do it properly. I say we kick off the Apocalypse." He said, and the entire coach looked at him in surprise.

"Sam, we're trying to stop the Apocalypse remember?" Cox asked, and Missouri looked at him as though he were crazy.

"Sam honey, that plan stinks. What good will starting the Apocalypse do us?" she asked, ignoring the dirty look Dean sent her for dismissing his brother's plan.

"Simple. We start the Apocalypse early, Raphael will have to come to us. Which means, he'll be coming to face us when we want to, we'll be ready for him. Lilith will come too most likely, and hopefully all the others will too. We'll be waiting for them and can deal with them as and when." He said, and they all looked at each other sceptically.

"Alright, I get how forcing the Apocalypse will bring them all to us Sammy, but I still don't get how starting it will help?" Dean asked, and Sam turned to Aimo.

"If Lucifer was let out, and immediately put back into his box, would that reset the seals?" he asked, and Aimo nodded.

"Yes. If he goes back down there it means the Apocalypse has failed. So if it was closed again, yes it would go back to the beginning. Why?" he asked, and Dean was beginning to feel hopeful as he saw the grin forming on Sam's face.

"Great. We start the Apocalypse. We make sure it fails. Raphael's plan goes pear shaped, we kill him, everything's fine, and we can kill Lilith whenever we want to, he would need to start all over again." Sam reasoned, and Dean looked at him cautiously.

"Alright, it sounds good in theory, but how do you plan to start it and make sure it fails in the first place?" he asked, and the rest of the coach was silent as they looked at the two brothers and Sam looked at his brother hesitantly.

"The rings." he whispered, and Dean's eyes widened.

Aimo's did too, as did Meg's.

"He might be on to something. The rings are the only way of opening the cage other than breaking the seals. If we get our hands on them, we can open the cage whenever we want, before the seals are all broken. Which means, Raphael will have to come to deal with us, he'll want to stop us from closing it again afterwards, he would have to know that that would be the plan." Meg said, and Dean looked at his brother, his eyes wide.

"Wait, you want to use the horsemen's rings to open the cage and what, slam it shut straight away?"

Sam nodded.

"Yeah. We open it, Lucifer and Michael start to come out. We then close it, the seals reset, we can deal with Raphael and Lilith whenever we want to." He said, and Dean looked at him nervously.

"Wait, these horsemen, please say you aren't talking about the four horsemen of the Apocalypse?" Marion asked hopefully, and Sam nodded.

"Yeah we are. The rings are what we used the last time, to open the cage so I could stick Michael and Lucifer in it." He explained, and Dean frowned.

"And granted I don't want you to have to do that again." He interjected, making Sam smile.

"The rings also act to open the cage. So, if we get our hands on the rings, we make it look like we're forcing the Apocalypse to happen early. Raphael will come to us to stop us from closing it again afterwards, before all the seals are broken, and then we can kill both him and Lilith. After that, it'll be a piece of cake." He said easily, and the others all looked at him as if he were mad.

Aimo however, didn't.

"That could work. You open the cage with the rings. The brothers start to come out, there will be a little bit of time between the opening and the leaving of the cage. So, in that time, we close it up again, the seals reset and Raphael's back at square one and right where we want him. It's a good plan." He said earnestly, and Sam grinned at him.

Dean looked at his brother, and had to admit, it was a good plan, and also meant they might be able to avoid the fights with angels trying to force them to before vessels, regardless of Raphael's wishes.

"But we gave back all the rings." Dean pointed out, and Sam gave him a small smile, and Dean realised what that meant.

"No way Sammy!" he protested, and Sam looked at him wheedlingly, puppy dog eyes out in full force, and as soon as he was fixed with his gaze Dean knew he was going to cave. Damn it, he had to develop some balls against that look of his.

"Dean he likes you. Which means, you might be able to get his ring. And, Aimo, is there a way we can get the other rings?" Sam asked, and Aimo frowned.

"I think there's a way to summon War. Rumour had it up there that someone summoned War before the Iraq War, to make sure there was a war. By the way, you guys weren't meant to elect George Bush." He said, and Jody smiled.

"Don't we know it. So, if there's a way to summon War, could you adapt it to summon the others?" she asked, and Dean nodded.

"Theoretically. But even if we summon them, there's no guarantee that they will give us their rings, they don't have any reason to." He pointed out, and while Sam frowned, Bobby shook his head.

"Actually there might be. Death is different from the others, that's why he's their leader. War, Famine and Pestilence are all demons, which means, they'll probably go poof in the Apocalypse too, and also means there's a good chance the Leviathans can chomp on them." He reasoned, and Meg nodded.

"He might be right. After all, Lilith has to die to bring about the Apocalypse. Who's to say that their job is any better? If the Apocalypse goes off, there's every chance that they'll go poof too." She reasoned, and Sam nodded.

"Great. So, we have a plan. We summon War, get his ring, then do the same for the other two. And, the scythe must be able to affect them too, so we can always threaten them." He said, and Dean nodded.

"Yeah, that might just work. But then what? Say we get the rings, what then?" he asked, and Sam shot him a significant look.

"St Mary's convent." He whispered, and Dean closed his eyes in realisation.

"What's that?" Tamara asked, wondering what was so special about a place full of nuns.

"The place where the cage opens. It's derelict now. So, we go there..." Dean began.

"We take the rings..." Bobby continued.

"We open the door..." Meg added.

"We get the bad guys to come to us..." Aimo followed on.

"And then we shut the damn door again." Sam finished.

"And we do all this in the next three days? Preferably quicker?" Cox asked, and they nodded.

"Yep. Welcome to the life of an Apocalypse stopper. Aimo, you sure you can get the way to summon War?" Sam asked, and the kid nodded.

"Yeah." He said confidently, and he nodded.

"Good. So, if you get that, we can head to Maryland, get to the convent." He said.

"And then hope for the best?" Garth asked, and the brothers nodded.

"Yeah. And hope we do it better than we managed last time. But how do we get the Leviathans, the vampires, the hunters and the demons all to go there, if we really do want to face them off all at once? I mean isn't that asking to get killed a little?" Dean asked nervously, and Bobby shook his head.

"Shouldn't be. We can take them." He said confidently, grinning, and Dean grinned too.

"So we're actually doing this? We're starting the Apocalypse to stop it?" Jody asked in disbelief, and Reynolds nodded.

"Seems so. Mad isn't it?" he asked conversationally.

Sam exchanged a look with Dean, who nodded, and turned, his expression nervous, to the others.

"Look guys...you guys have been great, with all your help. And we know you didn't ask for this, to get caught up in all of this, and you can't imagine how grateful we are that you guys all stuck around to help us out. But...if you don't want to do this, because there is a very good chance we're all going to die, then we can drop you off on the way to Maryland. The Apocalypse kick is our problem, and if you don't want to be part of it, we won't blame you. So, I guess what I'm saying is, if you want to get out...now's the time." He said, and the entire coach went silent as they looked at the two brothers, as Sam stood beside his brother.

Bobby looked at the two boys and shook his head.

"You think I'm going to go off and let you boys fight this one on your own? No chance. Even with the risk I might turn on you boys again, I'm coming, and you can't stop me." He said gruffly, and the boys smiled at him in thanks.

Meg shrugged her shoulders.

"Well, if poor catatonic Castile ever wakes up, he'll need someone to talk to other than me, so I suppose I may as well tag along." She said, a slight grin on her face.

Garth looked at them both, grinning.

These guys took out Aunt Marge. The least I can do is help take them out. I'm in." He said proudly.

Aimo gave the two boys a happy smile.

"Thanks to you two, I got to become my own person, away from Raphael, and you didn't have to take me in, and you did. And he's my problem too, so I'm coming." He said cheerfully.

Cox surveyed them, then grinned.

"My life has changed since meeting you boys. If it weren't for you, I'd have been a Leviathans dinner. And if you're trying to get yourself killed again, seems to me that you'll need a doctor. I'm coming."

Tamara winked at them.

"Isaac died trying to stop things like this. If I can help spare someone else the pain of losing a husband, then I'm going with you too." She said stoutly.

Missouri smiled.

"I ain't going to let you boys go off on your own, I hardly get enough calls from you as it is. I'm coming to keep an eye on you." She said, making the boys grin further.

"And you can hardly turn my life upside down and expect me to forget about it when you need me most. I'm in too." Marion pledged.

"And I'm not letting people I care about be killed by these damn monsters, so I say let's stop the Apocalypse." Jody chimed in.

Reynolds looked around everyone and smiled.

"Well I'm hardly staying by myself, I'm in too." He said, and they smiled.

"Then let's go then. We've got an Apocalypse to start." Dean said, and headed to drive the coach, Sam smiling and following him.

XX

Gordon narrowed his eyes. He had once again had to knock down Verity as she and Grant were beginning to rebel under his command. And if he didn't find the Winchesters soon, then he was going to be killed before he had killed Sam, and that simply wouldn't do.

"Gordon..." Grant said from beside him as they passed through Tennessee.

Up ahead was a black coach, one that not so long ago had been their home before the Winchesters had stolen it. They'd found them.

"Finally! Follow them, and then, you can get your fill, and I can get my revenge." He said, hissing in delight.

Sam Winchester. His killer, the one who had condemned the world to hell more than once. The servant of Satan himself. And soon, he would be in his grasp.

Nothing would stop him this time.

XX

"Wait a minute." Garrett said from the back of the truck, and Emily, about to drive them towards Iowa, looked back.

"What?" she asked irritably, and Charlie, who was once more doodling various death scenes featuring Dean, turned around too.

"Well, the angels are trying to restart the Apocalypse right? So, if that's true, stands to reason that the Winchesters are trying to get involved doesn't it?" he asked, and she nodded slowly.

"Yeah, why?" she asked, and Vance's eyes lit up.

"So, if we figure out where the last Apocalypse kicked off, surely the Winchesters will head there at some point, because there has to be one point where it can be opened?" he asked, and she had to admit he had a point.

"You reckon they're on to something?" Charlie asked, and she smiled.

"We're going the wrong way. Last time, it opened in Maryland. Let's go see what's going on there shall we?" she asked, and did a u turn and headed the car towards the east of the country.

XX

"I can't believe you're making me do this." Sam moaned from the passenger seat, and Dean grinned.

"Hey. You're making me summon Death. The least you can do is call Crowley and Dick." He said, unenthused by the last name, and Sam shot him a look of loathing as he dialled the local Sucrocorp building.

"Sucrocorp Customer Service Hotline, how may we help you?" a cheery voice said on the other end.

"You can put me through to Dick Roman." Sam said, and the person laughed.

"I'm sorry sir, but we can't just let anyone speak to the CEO." She said condescendingly, and Sam gave a slight grin.

"Tell him it's Sam Winchester." He said, and she turned round to speak to someone, and then came back, sounding shocked.

"Putting you through now sir." She said and hastily reconnected him.

"Sam! You vanished very quickly. I trust you're calling me with good news?" Roman asked, and Sam gritted his teeth at the hated voice.

"We have a plan, yes. But we need you to somehow make sure Valente winds up at St Mary's convent in Maryland tomorrow." He said, and Roman made a thoughtful sound.

"I suppose I can arrange that. It will be difficult though, as he is ignoring me, but I will do it. Best of luck." He said unconvincingly, and Sam told him to go forth and multiply before hanging up the phone.

He then text Crowley on the number he had left them.

'Got a plan. Need Lilith to take notice. Tomorrow.'

"Here we go then." Sam said, and Dean gave him an uncertain grin, as behind them, the others got ready for war, in both senses of the word.

XX

Valente had taken a risk by answering this call. This call was Edgar. He knew that because of his temporary alliance with the angels and demons, Roman would be demanding his bibbing, and would most likely eat him himself. His repeated failures to kill the Winchesters hadn't helped either, and he knew Roman wouldn't care that he had killed Dean considering Dean had come back. But Edgar might be willing to help, after all, it was his fault they had bene forced into their current situation.

"Roman is not interested in your excuses Valente. However, he had managed to track down the Winchesters. They're heading to St Mary's convent, Maryland. I suggest you get there too. And then...run." Edgar snarled and hung up.

"You heard?" Valente asked breathlessly, and Villar smiled.

"Yep. But, if they're going there, the others won't be far behind. We can kill them all and be welcomed back with honours." He said eagerly, and Featherstone gave a grim smile as she took them towards Maryland.

XX

"My lord, I have discovered astounding news!" Apronia shouted as she appeared by the side of Raphael and Virgil.

"What?" Raphael asked, uninterested.

"The boy, Aimo, he has stolen a spell from the vault." She said, referring to the vault of very powerful artefacts in the heavens.

"What? None of them will help them stop us." Virgil dismissed, but she sent him a quelling look.

"It was the spell to summon War." She said worriedly, and Raphael's eyes widened as the implications hit him. They were going to try and reverse his efforts. They were trying to stop his Apocalypse.

That couldn't be allowed.

"Very well. The Winchesters want a showdown. I'll give them one!" he spat, electric wings widening as he flew off, and after a second's of hesitation the other two followed their furious master.

XX

Lilith, in a brand new body and once more on the trail of the Winchesters looked at the goblet of baby's blood in her hand and frowned. Someone was trying to contact her. She dipped her finger in, and hissed as she saw who it was.

"Crowley." She spat, and he nodded in greeting.

"Lilith. I like the new vessel. Suits you."

She narrowed her eyes at the demon who was continually eluding her and thwarting her plans, and undermining her own credibility along with it.

"Flattery will get you nowhere Crowley. What do you want? And unless it is to turn yourself in I'm not interested." She sneered, and he smiled.

"No, but you might like what I have to offer. The Winchesters and I have had a falling out. I can tell you where they're going and all it will cost you is to call off your bounty hunters." He said, and she raised an eyebrow.

"Some, not all." She said, and he nodded.

"Fine. They're going to the convent. I'm sure I don't need to tell you where." He said, and she smiled in cold delight.

Of course they were, they were trying to stop Raphael at the site of the cage. And at long last, she would have them.

"I'll call half of them." She said, and he bowed to her.

"You're very gracious. Thank you for your support. Kisses, Crowley." He said and the blood went back to normal.

She had them.

XX

Aimo returned with the spell, and as such, the driving had been taken over by Cox and Missouri, who had shut the door to the driver's area, and the others were all standing with weapons trained on the centre of the coach where the sigil had been drawn.

"Are you sure about this?" Tamara asked worriedly.

"No." Dean moaned, and said the incantation.

The wind whistled and a red bloody mist appeared on the centre of the sigil, forming into a mini tornado before coming to a stop, revealing the tall, red suited, grey haired horseman.

"Well if it isn't the Winchesters. I didn't expect to see you boys again. In fact, after our last encounter, I seem to recall you owed me something." He snarled, showing them his maimed hand, his ring now on the finger next to the one they had cut off.

"Sorry your lordship, but we don't have a choice. And I wouldn't recommend doing anything if I were you, you're still a demon, meaning Aimo can banish you, and I reckon I can carve you with your buddy Death's scythe." Dean said, and War growled at him.

"Look boy, because of you I spent two years in your time recovering, which is a long time to be in hell. I will not be ordered about by you. I have a civil war brewing in Syria, civil unrest brewing in Iraq, and I'm trying to nudge America into war with Iran and I don't need interruptions!" he spat angrily, and then frowned as he realised that Sam was doing another incantation.

And there was a pop, and a man with a shock of white hair and a green suit, combined with a green emerald ring, appeared.

"Pestilence! Finally, a man with taste. Can you think of something horrible to give these two gnats?" War asked, and Pestilence smiled and raised his hand.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." A cold, calm voice said, and both War and Pestilence turned to see Death appear, dressed in black as always, behind the boys.

"Death! These arrogant little parasites have just summoned us like common mules, and you expect us to do nothing?" War asked, and Death, the leader of the horsemen, shook his head.

"Yes I do. Because if you try in any way to kill them, I will bring them back, as you and I both know that the only way you can kill them is through your field, not your powers." Death said calmly, helping himself to some peanuts off the table.

War narrowed his eyes at the assembled people.

"You know, the Cold War should have ended differently, but I have one weekend off, and I drop the ball, never recovered. But if I hadn't, all of you would be nonexistent." He snarled, and Pestilence looked disdainfully around them all.

"And if your medicine wasn't so good, swine flu would have killed you all. How I miss the bubonic plague. Oh for the good old days in Egypt." He lamented, and Death looked at the group, all of whom looked scared, and Dean was trying to force Sam behind him, backing him to the door.

"Um, sorry to disturb you all, but, we're in a bit of a jam and we need your help." He said, and Death nodded.

"I know Dean, so I decided to come rather than be summoned again, it doesn't do much for my image." He said, walking over and shaking hands with War and Pestilence.

"You tolerate these little gnats? They messed up the Apocalypse." Pestilence said, the urge to make the driver be struck with sudden blindness very tempting, but he didn't dare with Death standing there.

"They did. And I suspect that's why they called you two. They want to mess it up again, correct?" Death asked, and Dean nodded.

"Yeah. Kind of. We were hoping we could borrow your rings. And notice, we're asking this time, not just chopping!" he pointed out, and War scoffed.

"You want to borrow our rings? You mess up our plans, ruin our Apocalypse, cut off our fingers, and then call us to you like dogs, and you expect us to just hand our rings over to you? Are you mad?" he asked angrily, trying to leave, but for some reason Death was preventing him from escaping.

"Not only that, you blow up all my stores of my lovely Croatoan, and render poor old Famine even more of a vegetable than he was in the first place. Perhaps a little conjunctivitis will help you see how stupid you were to summon us." Pestilence hissed, raising his hand, and he too found his power blocked.

"Yeah, not real sorry we did that." Sam said, and Pestilence tried to curse him with boils but that didn't work either.

"What's going on?" Pestilence demanded from Death, and War turned furiously to his brother.

"Bro, this is lame! You know you're not allowed to play with my powers!" he yelled, and Death rolled his eyes in disdain.

"Please War, being out of the picture for a little while won't harm matters that much. Besides, everyone is too obsessed with the London Olympics to care much about small wars." Death said dismissively.

Pestilence smiled in delight.

"Ooh, I could spread an epidemic down there!" he said excitedly, and both Death and War glared at him.

"No you couldn't. I like to watch the swimming." Death said, and War nodded.

"And I like the fencing. No messing with the Olympics."

Sam and Dean looked at each other, then looked away before they laughed and turned to Death.

"Look, we know you hate us. Truth be told, we aren't your biggest fans either. No offence." Sam said hastily, as Death had raised an eyebrow.

"But, we do need your rings. Please. We need to stop Raphael." Dean said, and War scoffed.

"Why should we care? You have any idea how boring it gets when there isn't an Apocalypse on? After World War One, I had nothing to do, until Manchuria. I mean I got a little excited with the Ruhr, but then it all went downhill, and it's really boring to be frank!" he shouted.

Pestilence crossed his arms defiantly.

"And as you develop more and more cures, I'm getting weaker and weaker, and I don't like what you humans have done to Famine, so why should I not want you wiped out in the Apocalypse?" he asked irritably, and Dean grinned.

"Because if the Apocalypse goes off, you all get made redundant." He said smugly, and the two lesser horsemen looked at each other in confusion.

"We're the horsemen of the Apocalypse. Which means, we'll be working more than ever once it begins, you ought to remember." Pestilence taunted, and Sam gave him a small grin.

"Yeah. But, you need humans to spread illness to, right?" he asked, and Pestilence, curious to know where he was going with this, nodded.

"True."

Sam nodded.

"Scenario one. Michael and Lucifer have their final fight. Michael wins. Angels enter paradise, demons are obliterated, and humans get caught in the crossfire. Not much left, and what's left eventually dies out. Then who do you practice your plagues on?" he asked, and Pestilence looked at him, his eyes unsure, his swagger lessening.

Dean grinned.

"Scenario two. Michael and Lucifer have their fight. Lucifer wins. Demons run amok all over the earth, humanity is wiped out, and then Lucifer disposes of demons too. No one left for you to play with is there?" Dean asked, and Death smiled, enjoying his youngest brother's discomfort.

War shrugged.

"So what? There'll always be war." He said proudly, and Sam looked at him, shaking his head pityingly.

"Really? Yeah fine, the big battle is about war. But, what happens when it's over? Michael wins, the angels enter paradise, they don't care about earth. Humanity is wiped out, as are the demons. No one left to make war is there?" he asked, and War looked at him in surprise.

"And if Lucifer wins, it won't be war, it'll be a massacre when hell walks the earth. And eventually it'll run out, the angels will all be dead, and you'll have no more wars either." Dean said, and Aimo stepped forward.

"You three are like Lilith. You have a finite part to play in the Apocalypse, yours just takes a little longer." He said, and Bobby nodded, stepping forward too.

"Death, he's different, he doesn't need us to survive. But you three do, look how weak Famine is nowadays. Death, he can stay up playing chess with God till the far end of eternity. You, though, not so much." He reasoned, and he smiled as he saw how uncertain War and Pestilence were.

They turned to Death and bent in towards him, lowering their voices.

"Are they right?" War asked, and Death made a noise in his throat, neither yes or no.

"Well, what if they are? I mean, we are horsemen of the Apocalypse. This is our job." Pestilence said, and Death raised a finger.

"Is it though? This isn't the true Apocalypse. The next one isn't for the next two thousand years, unless some conspiracy theorist has his way at the end of the year. This is simply a cheap rehash, a money maker, like Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull, or the Clone Wars tv series. This isn't the true thing, this is just made to look like it, but lacks what it needs. It has the same name, but it doesn't have the feel, the essence of the thing. So, really, it isn't all that bad if you lend the boys your rings." He said, and War looked at him suspiciously.

"You're giving him yours aren't you?" he asked, and Death nodded.

"Yes. I've got Famine's too, I've been keeping an eye on them in case they break my scythe." He said disdainfully.

"Is that why they didn't summon him? You're not meant to get so personally involved." Pestilence scolded, pouting as he did so.

"No, they didn't summon him because in some ways he is the most dangerous to them. And they intend to summon him after they've dealt with you. Look, I'm giving them my ring and Famine's. But, they do have my scythe. And this isn't the true Apocalypse, believe me, they're saving the four of us from an enormous headache by trying to stop that arrogant little shit Raphael. He irritates me, and I think they can remove that irritation. So, I'm helping them. And they are only being nice. With my scythe, they can kill you if they wish to, and call me sentimental, but I would rather my little brothers were not killed by my own toy." He said, and War harrumphed.

"You know, you were a lot more fun during the Trojan War." He grumbled, and Death smiled slightly.

"Even I need to let my hair down occasionally. And next time there's a cheap rehash of the Apocalypse, I'll let you out and play, but this time, they have all the cards. And besides, Raphael deserves a good kicking the jumped up little twerp." He said, and broke apart from his brothers, to look at the Winchesters.

"Here you are, my ring and Famine's, he doesn't get out much nowadays, bad knee, though the flooding of all the crops in Britain has cheered him up slightly." He mused, and he dropped them into Sam's hand.

"Thank you." He said with relief, and Pestilence grumbled.

"Oh fine. But I'm going to go and create a plague somewhere the moment I get it back." He said childishly to Death, who nodded while rolling his eyes, and watched as his youngest brother passed it to Dean.

War looked at his ring, and swore to himself.

"Fine. But trust me, I'm going back to Korea when I get it back." He said, and passed his ring to Dean as well, making the hunter smile.

"Thanks. You won't regret it." Dean said, and War pouted.

"I already do. Death, if you're in the neighbourhood, there's a great little pub that's just opened that does brilliant cheese burgers. Pestilence, keep out of trouble." War said, and after giving the boys a look of loathing, he vanished.

"I best be off too. I'm can get to work on some new pandemic while I'm out of work. Death, mind your cholesterol." He said, and gave a disgusted look at the hunters before vanishing too.

"Death, thanks." Dean said, and Death nodded.

"You would do well to hurry, he's just broke another seal. And bear in mind, my brothers are right. I'm not meant to interfere this much. After you gave me back my scythe, we will be parting ways for a good long time." He warned, and Dean nodded.

"Understood."

"Good. But for what it's worth, I do want you to beat the arrogant little fool, I'm growing rather...bored with angels." Death said, and Aimo gulped, but he turned a sort of kindly expression onto him.

"You are an exception, you act more human than some humans do. Until next time." He said, and also disappeared.

Bobby exhaled in relief.

"Boy am I glad that's over. Who's for a drink?" he asked, and Dean and Sam looked at the rings and then at each other.

Dean gave his little brother a reassuring smile, and hoped they hadn't just made an incredibly big mistake.

XX

Another of Lilith's supporters was cut down as Crowley strolled towards what used to be his throne room, demons and bounty hunters flanking him on all sides, as Lilith's last loyal support tried desperately to defend the throne from him.

They didn't stand a cat in hell's chance, literally.

With the boys distracting Lilith, and the vengeful soon to be former queen of the underworld blazing across America to get her hands on the Winchesters so she can destroy them once and for all, she was sufficiently distracted from goings on in hell. Factions leaders had either been killed, bribed, bought off or genuinely convinced to join Crowley in retaking his throne. With the queen in absentia as much as she had been, her authority had waned, and after she had enforced all the changes on hell once she had taken over, destroying his neat and orderly system, she had returned it to the fire and brimstone it had used to be. Tortured souls, meat hooks, eternal fire, instruments of torture, whips, pokers, brands, and all other sorts of nasty things were the weapons of choice down here.

Hot lava bubbled through the caverns, and the place was illuminated by fires from the streams, the air filled with terrified, pain wracked screams. Dark shadows were creatures of every sort, and everyone was focused on what was going on in the main cavalcade, where the worst of all sinners went.

Crowley shoved Hitler to the ground as he passed, getting his soul out of the way. Demons and souls loyal to Lilith, or to the other factions that had allied with her, were being ripped apart, pulled apart by brute force, hung from meat hooks with the hooks erupting from their mouths, dipped into the lava, impaled by hundreds of burning pokers, filled with red hot ash, incinerated by hot coals, their guts ripped out, heads chopped off, limbs crushed, bodies incinerated, and other gruesome forms of death as Crowley led his supporters towards the throne room, crushing several demons out of existence himself, leaving them as piles of mulch on the floor, destroying Idi Amin and Atilla the Hun in the process.

"Save them, I want them back on the rack as soon as we're done here." Crowley ordered to Guy, the crossroads demon he had dragged back to hell for cheating on his deals, but who had redeemed himself recently with his unwavering service to Crowely. He was going straight back into torture as soon as this was over though.

The door to the throne room flew open, and Crowley smiled as Growley leapt in, ripping apart Lilith's pet hellhounds viciously, throwing cleaved body parts all over the place and splattering the walls with blood, and her remaining supporters screamed, including Himmler, and they all ran for the throne as Crowley and his supporters poured into the massive room.

A long, wide room, the roof was kept up by beams of solid bone, the windows offered a panoramic view of hell, observing the lava cascades that Crowley had worked so hard to cover up. Streams of lava crossed the floor, and steam and smoke billowed all through the room. The floor was bone white, the walls marked with vicious images of tortures and evil doers and famous demons and ancient battle scenes. Blood was now splattering the walls, bodies littering the floor and hanging from the beams as they advanced, Lilith's group of loyal supporters panicking as they were forced closer and closer to the throne, screaming as they went.

Crowley smiled as he saw the throne that belonged to him, his rightful place, and then run a critical eye over it. He himself preferred a dark, blackened throne, but Lilith had made a throne from human bones, most of them skulls, held together by human entrails. She was part of the old generation and thank god her reign was now officially over.

"You traitors! Lilith will kill you all for this!" Hans, her retainer, yelled as he and his remaining supporters clung to each other before the throne, watching as Growley shredded the last of the hellhounds Lilith had left behind.

Crowley looked at them all in contempt.

"Lilith has failed as a queen. I am back in charge and she will soon join you all in being dead." He said, eyes flashing yellow, and he grabbed the twelve demons and rose them into the air, exploding their organs, forcing blood to pour out of their mouths, eye sockets, nose, ears and other orifices. They gave pained screams, and he then crushed their bodies, breaking off their screams and turning them into weak gasps of pain, and he then turned to Growley, who was licking his lips and wagging his tail.

"Growley, dinner! Here boy!" he said, flinging the corpses to the massive hellhound and he gave a bark of delight and those still alive gave terrified screams as he tucked in.

Crowley took a deep breath of reverence, and then clicked his fingers, his throne returning and the skulls that made up Lilith's falling into one of the lava rivers. Crowley turned to see the hall filled with his supporters, and smiled as they began to whoop and cheer, and waved proudly.

Hell was his again, he was king once again.

He ascended the steps to his throne, and sat down, savouring the taste of victory.

"All hail the king! All hail the king! All hail the king!" the chant continued, and Crowley leaned back in his chair, enjoying the sensation of victory as his long term supporters immediately began trying to repair Lilith's damage.

It was good to be home.

XX

Sam and Dean looked out at the ruins of the convent, neither saying anything. This was where Lucifer had been freed. This was where Ruby had died.

And this was where the two of them had nearly given up on each other for good.

It was different this time. Dean wasn't consumed with his own problems, wasn't keeping everything to himself, didn't have Cas prattling in his ear, wasn't acting like their father, wasn't getting so obsessed with their so called destiny that he was losing his brother.

And Sam wasn't addicted to demon blood, didn't have Ruby seducing him, wasn't acting under false pretences, didn't think that his brother hated him and never wanted to see him again, and wasn't out for revenge.

This time they were together, out to save the world, and kill anything that got in their way.

"Sammy?" Dean asked softly, and Sam looked at his brother.

"Yeah?"

"Stay close to me ok?" Dean asked, and Sam smiled.

"Course." He responded, and Dean smiled.

"We're in this together this time." He said, and held out his left hand, and Sam smiled.

"Yeah. No more mistakes. We end this lot tonight." He said, wrapping his hand around Dean's fingers and smiling as Dean tightened the grip, grinning.

"Well here we go." He said, getting to his feet.

Sam looked at him curiously.

"Time to make war." He said with a slightly excited grin, and with a similar grin, Sam followed him from the cabin to prepare for the coming battle.

**And here we are then, on the eve of the final battle!**

**The boys and their friends have a desperate plan. I hope you liked the appearance of the horsemen, and no offence intended for any of their comments (though I'm very apathetic about the Olympics, there's been nothing but news about the Olympics on the tv since May), and poor Famine isnt getting out much anymore, that'll teach him. But we've had so much rain recently hes probably quite happy that our crops are all swimming. Will the boys desperate plan work?  
**

**And Crowley is once more in charge of hell. I hope you liked the little glimpse into it, and the detritus of Lilith's reign, much more sedate under Crowley I think. And at least Growley is happy, and we've even had some famous villains from history spotted down there in the very bottom of hell, figures she would stay there.  
**

**One last bit of brotherly love before the final showdown then!  
**

**And now, the final battle is upon us! Who will live? Who will die? Who will kill who?  
**

**Hopefully we will be updated tomorrow, but realistically I think it might be Thursday. And just to make things worse, there wont be an update on Friday either as I have friends coming over for dinner, which messes up my writing time! But hopefully, all will be said and done by Saturday and the story and this arc will be finished!  
**

**Anyway, hope you enjoy this and the last two chapters as they come up, so enjoy, and above all else, please read and review review review!  
**


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural**

Bleeding Storm

The entire group was preparing itself, readying weapons, putting on extra padding, counting bullets, preparing salt shots, sharpening knives and everything else.

"Is there any hurry?" Jody asked as she sharpened a serrated knife, and Dean shook his head.

"Not really, I'm pretty sure all of the people currently trying to kill us will be here soon enough. Only thing is we need to make sure we're ready for them all." He said, and Aimo closed his eyes.

"Raphael isn't anywhere near here, he must be breaking another seal. But either way we're going to have to hurry. Oh hang on, I've found him, he's giving Hester her orders. Hmm, if he's busy, he won't be looking at me. I'll be back, I'm going to try and pinch a couple more angel blades." He said, and vanished.

"You know, he's sort of grown on me." Sam said fondly, and Missouri smiled.

"He has on me too. Alright. We have, enough knives to start our own carvery, we have explosives, we have flash grenades, knock out grenades, salt guns, normal guns, flick knives, wire, an angel sword, a demon blade and Death's scythe. Do we need anything else?" she asked, and Cox frowned.

"Hmm, what about some basic first aid supplies? I appreciate its most likely going to be hard and dirty when we get down to it, but I'll feel safer if I at least have something I can use to treat someone." He said, and Jody nodded, getting a few things to put into the bag.

"Alright. So, provided we manage to get everyone here, I assume you boys are going to be going after Raphael and Lilith yourselves?" Marion asked, and they nodded.

"Yeah. You got anyone you want yourself?" Dean asked, and he nodded.

"Yes. Charlie and I need to have a little performance review I think, it's become rather overdue." He said darkly, and Dean grinned.

"If you're distracting Lilith, that will only leave her two goons and the hellhounds to deal with. I can deal with her demons." Meg volunteered, and Garth looked up from cleaning his gun.

"And I'll help her." He said, and they nodded.

"Well if Marion is after Charlie, I can help with the hunters too." Missouri said, and Tamara nodded.

"Anyone want to help me tackle the Leviathans?" she asked, and Reynolds nodded.

"I'll deal with them with you." He volunteered.

Cox and Jody looked at each other.

"I suppose that means we have the vampires then right?" he asked, and she nodded.

"Yeah. Verity and I have a score to settle." She said, and Sam shot her a dangerous look.

"Deal with them, but leave Gordon to me." He said, his voice coloured with anger and feeling slightly spooked, she nodded.

"And that leaves the kid and I to tackle the angels while you boys go for the big bads." Bobby reasoned, and Dean nodded.

"Seems fair to me. That'll only be any good if Aimo gets us another angel blade though." Dean said, and Bobby shrugged.

"We'll think of something. Any chance of any surprises in the convent?" he asked as he milled over to the table of weapons, inspecting them all critically.

"What sort of surprises?" Missouri asked, and Bobby shrugged.

"Well, any other demons, there might be ghosts considering what Azazel did there..." he said, and she shook her head.

"Nothing that I can sense in terms of ghosts or poltergeists, but there's a lot of evil there, it could be blocking it I suppose, but my powers are getting easier to control." She said, still sounding quite put out that her powers hadn't fully developed yet, and Sam smiled.

"Believe me, you don't want to develop them all at once, it stinks." He said, and Meg looked thoughtful.

"If Crowley did what he said he was going to do and has taken back control of hell, Lilith could have more demons. After all, if he's just usurped control of the throne back from her, if any of her supporters managed to escape his coup then they'll all be looking for her, falling over themselves to drop him in it and perhaps spare them her wrath. She could have more friends." She reasoned, and Dean frowned.

"Problem is we won't know about that until it's too late, when she actually gets here." He said, and Jody also looked worried.

"And didn't Aimo say that this Hester Raphael is talking to is the leader of the garrison, aside from him doesn't that make her the big cheese up there?" she asked, and Sam nodded.

"Yeah, kind of supreme commander of the garrison, the general while he's the president. So if he's talking to her, he might be collecting more goons, after all, one defected and another two are dead." He said worriedly.

"Alright, so we're potentially dealing with more angels and more demons. Hunters?" Tamara asked, and Garth shook his head.

"Nah I don't think so. She probably thinks she has enough to kill us all as it is, after all, she is one of the most lethal hunters in the business." He theorised.

"What about vampires?" Meg asked, and Dean shook his head.

"No, I don't think so. Vampires tend to be one nest groups. Gordon already forced himself in charge of the group and has lost a load of them, they probably wouldn't let anyone else join up no matter how much they hate us." He mused, and Sam nodded.

"Alright. So, now all we need to do is get ready for them all." He said, and then looked at Bobby curiously, as he had strolled outside, looking out at the ruins.

"Bobby?" Dean asked, trying to get his attention.

"Sorry Dean I was miles away. Hard to believe that we're back here again isn't it?" he asked grimly, and Dean went down beside him, glowering at the ruins.

"Yeah it is. And now we're trying to kill Lilith all over again." He said irritably, and Sam also joined them, looking at the pile of ruins.

"And this time she's going to die for good, no comebacks this time. Come on, we better get ready. If we're going to be fighting all of them, we're going to need to set up as many surprises as possible." He said, heading back inside, and Bobby followed him.

Dean sent an odd look at Bobby's retreating back. He wasn't usually prone to such fits of nostalgia. He frowned. Lilith was going to be coming here, Crowley had made sure of that, and she wanted them dead. Was she preparing to turn him against them again?

Resolving to watch Bobby closely, he followed them indoors.

XX

In her car on the way through West Virginia, Lilith, sipping baby blood to strengthen her, smiled as the car made its way towards the convent. Her new vessel had stopped fighting, and now she was able to use all of her powers, which was all she needed to do in order to ensure that the Winchesters would be destroyed.

Those two boys had infuriated her enough as it was. Their irritating refusal to die was a constant thorn in her side, and it was causing dissension among the ranks of her demons, and that simply could not be tolerated. She wasn't like Crowley, she wouldn't allow any form of opposition to her rule, and those two boys due to their various years of infuriating the forces of hell had caused a significant enough stir that their irritating continuing survival could begin to pose a threat to her rule.

But now at long last their stay of execution was coming to an end. They were after a showdown and she was more than inclined to give them one. Tammi and Duane were already on their way to the convent, and Duane was itching to try out a new strain of Croatoan. Soon all those annoying hunters would be dead.

And if the news she had received from the leader of her elite guard, Caym, was correct, then she would also be able to deal with the angels too. The Apocalypse would be stopped, and with them out of the way, all she would have to do is dispose of the Leviathan threat.

And then the world would be hers for the taking.

XX

Raphael snarled as he stood before the remainder of the host of heaven, who had been lacking in their duties. Only fifty five seals were broken, and those arrogant little human fools were trying to force the issue. And like moths to a flame, the other groups, the demons, the vampires, the Leviathans, the hunters, all of them were now heading right to the convent, right into what he could only assume would be a trap. The Winchesters had something planned, he knew it, and it involved the rings of the horsemen. They were trying to precipitate the Apocalypse and then stop it all at once.

And that simply was not allowed.

"Apronia, Virgil, pick out five of Hester's best lieutenants. We are going to destroy the Winchesters, the Leviathans and everyone else who gets in our way. The Apocalypse is happening, it cannot be stopped, yet the Winchesters are sticking their noses in where they don't belong. They are trying to stop us, and my patience is at last at its end. I have indulged those infinitesimal little tics for too long as it is. It is time we crush them. Gather your forces. It is time for the host of the last archangel to illustrate that our will is supreme, and nothing these human parasites can do will stop us now. Paradise will be ours!" he roared and the entire host cheered in joy, anticipation, relief and excitement as his words set in.

Raphael spun to face Hester, who looked at him excitedly. Teetering on the edge of insanity though she may be, she was a good leader.

"Hester, the task I now leave to you. Break the final ten seals, and then, the Apocalypse will begin again. I will see to it, you have my word. Await my signal." He said, and she nodded respectfully.

"As you wish my lord." She said with a smile, and turned to assemble her host.

It was time to be rid of the Winchesters once and for all, them and all of their little friends. And once he was done with them, while the Apocalypse was trundling along nicely and the two vessels were convinced to say yes, then he would spend the time before he entered Paradise hunting down every last person the Winchesters had ever met, ever contacted in any way, and destroy them. And if he had to obliterate America to do it, then he would.

XX

Lilith was entering Maryland when suddenly a swarm of black smoke like demon forms appeared from the middle of nowhere, and entered the bus that they were driving beside. Lilith ordered a stop, and frowned as the demons piled out and rushed to the side of her limo, and reluctantly she pulled down the window to look at them all, eyes narrowed dangerously.

"This better be good Caym." She spat, the leader of her elite guard trembling before her as she did so, having taken control of the young jock looking football team captain.

"My queen, I have failed you. Crowley has retaken the throne." He said, and her eyes hardened, flashing white in anger, her fist clenching.

"How did that happen?" she hissed, and he looked at the others worriedly, then ploughed on.

"Well your majesty, with you so focused on the Winchesters, and your alliance with the angels, the demons have been leaderless for quite some time. Factions were already forming to challenge you for the throne, and your absence emboldened them, and with Crowley playing the field, he wiped out the leaders of the factions and usurped control of them all. He then launched an attack on the throne room and I am sorry to say we were repulsed." He admitted, and she growled.

He and the remains of her royal guard all flinched, fearing her fury, but instead of them, she turned to the line of traffic, all of them blaring their horns at her, all gesturing at her impatiently, and she focused her pure white eyes on them, her hair crackling, her hand raising, her face the very definition of furious.

And with an almighty white blast dozens of cars, all packed with pitiful humans, all screamed as they were annihilated by a pure white blast, the cars exploding into fireballs, dozens of bodies roasted alive as the deposed queen of hell vented her frustrations.

Lilith then span to the remains of her guard, her face furious.

"You have all failed me. However, for the moment I am going to forget your failure. We are going to St Mary's convent, and when we are there, we are going to destroy the Winchesters and their little friends, and we are also going to destroy everyone else who gets in my way. I hope for your sakes that you didn't forget to bring the Reficul Chain." She said in a quiet, deadly voice.

Qanel bowed.

"Yes my queen, we lost over a dozen demons getting it out, but we did get it out to you." He said, showing her the long, blood red chain, and she smiled.

The Reficul Chain had been forged in the early days of hell, when the angel Semiazas had fallen from heaven. Fearing Lucifer, the only other fallen angel at the time, she had forged the chain, and it was powerful enough to kill angels, when used properly. She had been searching for it ever since she had retaken her throne, and a few weeks ago Caym had found it, buried in one of the deepest vaults of hell, and had excavated it to bring to her. If they had left without it, she would have obliterated all of them.

And now, at long last, she had a way to kill those infernal angels before they killed her.

"Follow me." She ordered, seizing the chain from him angrily and climbing into her car.

Fury was still pulsing through her. Crowley had retaken the throne, distracted her with the Winchesters while he had set up shop in her home. He had gone behind her back, rallied a rebellion and deposed her. However, it was only a temporary inconvenience. After the Winchesters and the angels were dead, and the Apocalypse averted, she would return to hell. And she would destroy everything in her path.

Hell would be hers once more, and then, all of them would know just who the true ruler of hell was.

XX

The group was exploring the shattered ruins of the convent, evaluating places where they could lay traps or bombs to impede their enemies. They were also checking the integrity of the place, because if they were fighting hard and fast, then the last thing they would need is for the entire place to come crashing down on their heads when they least expected it, that wouldn't do anyone any good.

Reynolds looked at the two boys. He had to tell the boys what Mueller had planned for them, he had to warn them. These last couple of weeks since he had joined up with them, the entire group had become sort of family, dysfunctional certainly, but a family none the less. And the Winchesters were being threatened by Mueller, who sought to use them for his own purposes. He had to warn them.

"Sam, we need to talk." Reynolds said, and he turned to face him, and he checked to make sure Dean wasn't nearby. Somehow he thought that telling Sam was the safer option, his temper didn't seem as volatile and he probably wouldn't try and kill him as soon as he told him.

"What's up?" Sam asked, looking critically as a small alcove formed by the rubble and wondering if it could be used to launch an ambush.

"I felt I should warn you. Mueller wants to use you, control you. Use you to suit himself." He said, rather bravely he thought and Sam sighed and looked over at Dean, exchanging a dark look with his brother.

"We figured he might. We also figured he would tell you not to warn us." Sam said, and Reynolds nodded.

"Yeah he did. I'm sorry, but even I can't overrule the director of the FBI. I didn't expect that he would figure out a way to try and use you, I just thought he would cut you a deal and that would be it." He said grimly, and Dean sighed.

"Don't worry. We have a plan." He assured him with a wink, and Reynolds looked at him curiously.

"What sort of plan?" he asked worriedly, and Sam smiled.

"Whatever happens, we're going to make sure Valente dies. And after Mueller gives us the blank slate, then we disappear. Officially." He said, and Reynolds looked at them in confusion.

"Don't worry about it. All you need to know is, we're taking some inspiration from recent events." Dean told him, and beckoned to Sam to follow him, leaving Reynolds standing behind them in confusion.

"Boys, come and have a look at this!" Bobby called and the two of them headed to a collapsed portion of corridor, frowning as they did so.

"What's up Bobby?" Sam asked as they entered the corridor, and Bobby pointed to the collapsed end of the corridor, and Dean frowned, seeing a small knife wedged into the rubble.

"Where did that come from?" he asked, and Bobby shrugged.

"I don't know but it looks like Ruby's, reckon it could be a demon killing blade?" he asked, and Sam bent down to inspect it.

"Could be, but we can't tell while it's stuck in the rock, we may as well wait for Aimo to get back, then he can hold the rubble up, we move it we might bring the entire thing down on us and that would kind of suck." He said musingly.

"Can't Meg identify it?" Dean asked, looking back up the corridor to try and see if he could see their resident demon.

And then went pale. There was a small shaped charge hanging above the arch in the rubble, and he knew no one else had been down here other than Bobby.

"Sammy!" he cried in panic, and Sam turned to face him just as Bobby smashed him with his rifle, knocking his brother back, dazed.

Bobby then turned, revealing a small remote as the others all turned to see what was going on, there was a small rumble, and suddenly, the corridor the boys and Bobby were standing in collapsed, sealing them on the outside.

Trapping Sam and Dean inside with someone who was once again under Lilith's control.

XX

Aimo crept behind the guard to the armoury, and standing up slightly, he slit his sword across his throat, dropping the angel like a stone. Curious, how easy it was now to kill those who were meant to be his kin. Lowering the body to the ground, he opened the door to the armour, seeing several angelic weapons, many of which had been recovered by the traitor Castiel. Picking up two swords, it then occurred to him that while he could stow his own sword in his waistband, it could be slightly dicey storing any more than that. Wincing as he slipped the cold weapons into his jeans, he heard voices approaching and cursed. He had been planning to raid the armoury for more weapons, but now he had to leave. Dumping the guard in the corner of the room, he was about to leave when he went still, hearing the voice of Hester and Inias, the leaders of the garrison now. While Inias was nice enough for an adult angel, indeed he had been one of Aimo's teachers when he had been earning his wings, Hester, her mental state non too stable and her moods volatile, her anger close to the surface and her faith eroded, she was entirely different matter.

"Yes, he took Jeremiah, Elijah, Lamech, Salome and Jezzabel. Which makes our job a little more difficult, but I'm sure we can cope. After all, there's only eleven seals left to go and then they will all pay for everything they've done to us." Hester said with relish.

"Yes but Hester, with five of our best lieutenants gone, I must confess I am worried." Inias said hesitantly, and Aimo pressed his ear to the wall to hear what he had to say.

"Worried, why would you be worried?" Hester scoffed, and Inias' voice trembled as he responded.

"Well, Raphael is the most powerful angel left, I admit that. But, the Winchesters have killed so many of us, been responsible for the deaths of so many of us...Owen, Mary, Uriel, Anna, Zachariah, and it was them who led to the defeat of Michael and of Lucifer, the two strongest angels in existence. I know they didn't kill all of them directly, but, they do seem to have that effect, and we've lost so many, I'm just worried that by directly confronting the Winchesters Raphael is risking losing even more of us." He said timidly, and Aimo winced as he was slapped by Hester.

"You dare question Raphael? Have you lost your faith Inias? He will deliver the Apocalypse, he will deliver us to Paradise, we know this, everyone accepts it to be true. Humanity is about to be extinguished. And after the treachery of Castiel, I for one am looking forward to us returning to our true position as those deserving of kindness, superiority and charity. And I will hear no more about it. Raphael will be our deliverance, and the Winchesters will die. It has been foretold, Raphael has promised and I believe him. Now, silence. Where is the guard?" she asked angrily, and Aimo took that as his cue to leave.

XX

Dean looked at Bobby in alarm.

"Bobby, you don't want to be doing this, this isn't you, Lilith is controlling you." Dean said, as Bobby advanced on them, which wasn't helped by the fact that Sam was still slightly dazed.

Bobby ignored him and just continued to advance, as Sam shook his head to clear it. As Sam tensed up, ready to attack to defend his brother, Dean was struck by a curious thought. Bobby couldn't see Sam when he wasn't all there. That's why he had been focusing on Dean. Dean edged towards Sam. He couldn't help it, he had to protect Sam. He knew Sam would hate him afterwards, but he could live with that.

"Bobby, stop this, this isn't you. You came back, you're you again, please." Sam pleaded, and Dean stood right in front of Sam, as if to protect him, and all that happened was Bobby shoved him out of the way, and continued marching towards Sam.

Dean cursed. If he was working for Lilith, she would want Sam more than she would want him. But she wasn't getting him, neither was Bobby.

"Bobby, please, fight it! She's controlling you!" Sam implored, as Bobby drew a long knife out and advanced towards Sam menacingly.

"No, Bobby, don't do this!" Dean yelled and rushed to Sam's side, tensing up as he prepared to do something drastic.

He had to get Bobby to stop focusing on Sam, he had to draw his attention onto him, away from his little brother. And if he was right, whatever weird hocus pocus she had on him, it didn't work when Sam wasn't entirely there. Like if he was unconscious.

"Sammy, trust me ok, I'm doing this to protect you." Dean said, and Sam looked at him in alarm.

"Dean, we need to worry about Bobby, not me...Dean!" Sam gasped in surprise as Dean wrapped his arm around his throat as Bobby advanced on him, knife pointed right for Sam's heart. Sam immediately raised his hands, trying to break the hold Dean had on his neck as he squeezed tight, hoping he would act docile as he had when he had been a vampire.

Dean pulled Sam back, fear and desperation filling him. He couldn't lose Sam, not again. Especially if it was Bobby who hurt him. And he knew he was being irrational, but after everything, he had to make sure Sam was alright, had to make sure he was protected. It would kill him just as much as Sam if Bobby stabbed him, because it would mean that he would be the one who had to kill Bobby, to save his little brother. And that would destroy all three of them.

Sam looked up at Dean in shock, his eyes demanding an explanation as he tried to pull Dean's arm from his neck, his face colouring, his eyes wide as he tried to get some air into him.

"I'm sorry Sammy, but if you're not all there, he can't see you, which means I might be able to reason with him, I think it's you he wants." He whispered, hating himself, hating the fact that Sam was pulling at the arm around his neck desperately, and Dean knew he only wanted to help his brother. However, he couldn't take that chance and squeezed a little tighter, and Sam looked at him pleadingly, his eyes fluttering, and then his brother went limp in his arms, and Dean gently lowered him to the floor, hoping he just hadn't made a big mistake.

Bobby came to a stop, as if he were unable to see Sam, and Dean smiled grimly. Whatever magic she had performed on Bobby to bind her to him, Lilith had miscalculated. She had bound him with a single overriding need to kill Sam, and if Sam was out of the picture, however it was, then he was unable to see him.

Bobby advanced on Dean, the sword drawn, and Dean backed away.

"Look Bobby, this isn't you, you aren't evil. This is only Lilith, she's turning you against us." He said desperately, looking at his unconscious brother, hoping he could snap Bobby out of it before he woke up.

Bobby said nothing but simply advanced on Dean, and Dean was beginning to wonder if his plan to hide Sam in plain sight from Bobby was such a good one after all.

"Bobby please. This isn't you, you're like our father, hell you were more of a father to us then our own one ever was! You love us, and we love you! We thought the world was ending when you died. Bobby, don't do this." He pleaded, and he saw a flicker and Bobby returned momentarily.

"Dean, I know you don't want to, but please kill me!" he urged, and then Lilith's magic took hold once again, and Dean went for his gun, tears in his eyes as he did so.

"Bobby..." Dean whispered in devastation, and as he brought his gun to bear, Bobby leapt at him and tackled Dean to the floor with a yelp.

XX

On the outside the group was trying desperately to burrow in.

"How the hell is she back on control of Bobby?" Reynolds demanded, and Meg frowned.

"It must mean she's getting close, which translated means we sure as hell don't have time for this. The closer she gets, the stronger it will be, once she flipped the switch in the Sandover building, it can't be unswitched." She explained as she heaved another rock away from the pile Bobby had caused to fall down.

Jody looked at her worriedly.

"Well what is he going to be doing in there?" she asked, and Meg frowned.

"Considering last time he went straight for Sam, I'm assuming it's hardwired in him to kill Sam, which makes sense considering how much Lilith wants him dead. Dean is going to be faced for all intents and purposes a possessed Bobby." She said, and Missouri looked to the sky.

"Where is Aimo?" she wailed as they continued pulling the rocks away from the caved in entrance.

XX

Sam awoke, shaking his head and vowing to kick Dean's ass if they managed to get out of this alive. Yeah, Bobby was gunning for him, he understood that. But sleeperholding him was not the way to go about it. Part of him got that Dean was trying to protect Sam, he really did, but that meant Dean had had to face Bobby alone. And if Bobby had gone demonic again, then there was no telling what might have happened.

But as Sam looked around the room, he saw Bobby standing at ease, and Dean was standing facing him.

"Dean, I'm going to kill you." Sam snarled angrily, and Dean shook his head.

"No Sam, I'm going to kill you." He said grimly, and Sam looked at him worriedly.

"What do you mean?" he asked, and Dean showed him a bloody mark on his arm, a brand, and Sam realised that he was trapped as Bobby once more had his knife at the ready and was advancing on him dangerously.

"You have to die, Lilith wants you dead and I'm the one who has to do it." He said, a slight trace of excitement in his voice as he did so, and Sam shook his head.

"No Dean, remember, you want to protect me, you always want to protect me. I'm your little brother, you and me, together, just like always." Sam said, not liking this at all.

The two people he loved most were about to try and kill him, just like Jess had before. Bobby was being compelled by some power they couldn't even see, Lilith was behind it just as she was behind his resurrection, and had turned him into a living weapon against Sam. And now, in trying to protect him, Dean had been turned against him too, branded by the same hypnotic power that bound Bobby to Lilith and now he too was trying to kill him.

"Protect you? Why would I want to protect you? I'm done with protecting you. Now, I get to exterminate you like the dog you are, put you down like the monster you are. Remember how you used to beg me to kill you? Well now I'm going to." Dean said with reliush, getting closer, and Sam could hear his heart pounding in his chest, as he reluctantly raised his knife. He really didn't want to stab his brother.

But if he could break the sigil on Dean's arm, the one that was about to make him murder his brother, then he might be able to get him back, and then they would do whatever it took to get Bobby back to normal.

"Dean, you've already killed me once and it almost destroyed you, you don't want to be do it again, I know you don't, please Dean, listen to me!" Sam pleaded, and Bobby lunged for Sam with the knife.

Sam caught the attack, jerking the knife from his hand and kicked Bobby in the chest, sending him crashing into a pile of rubble. However, by dealing with Bobby, he had left himself open to attack from Dean, and his big brother tackled him to the ground, knife flying from his hand. Sam wheezed as he thudded to the ground, and his brother's strangely glassy eyes focused on him, and Sam knew his brother wasn't really there. Dean then forced his weight onto Sam, pinning him with his knees and gave an excited, exhilarated grin as he wrapped his hands around his little brother's neck.

"Dean, no, stop..." Sam pleaded, trying to force Dean off, but his brother was too strong, totally consumed by Lilith's will, the sigil cut into his arm overriding all control.

Dean squeezed tighter, harder. Sam gasped desperately, his legs kicking beneath Dean as he tried to free himself from his brother's grip, pushing at him, pulling at the hands that were fastened tightly around his neck, squeezing the air out of them, making him gag for air as he did so. Dean squeezed, forcing himself down on Sam's neck, and Sam was desperately gagging for air, his legs thrashing beneath Dean, pulling urgently at the hands around his throat, pushing at Dean's face as his life force was cut into, and despite how much he was struggling, he knew Dean had the upper hand, despite the thrashing he was doing, despite how much he was kicking his legs.

He was going to die.

Dean, in trying to protect him, had gotten him killed, as Bobby had turned him into a mindless assassin as well.

"Dean...stop..." Sam pleaded, looking up at Dean pleadingly, but Dean wasn't there anymore, it was the assassin, and he was determined to kill Sam.

Sam was desperate to get some air into his body, but with his brother forcing air from his chest, and with his hands crushing his long neck, he had very little opportunity. He was wheezing desperately, pushing at Dean, pulling at his hands, his legs still kicking.

"Dean...please..." Sam begged, but all he got in response was Dean's excited smile as he squeezed harder still, and Sam could hear his blood pumping in his head, see the black spots appearing in his vision as he tried to free himself.

Dean was too strong, too powerful. His big brother was murdering him.

Sam felt his legs get heavy and his attacks became more uncoordinated, and he was dimly aware of his legs coming to a stop, unable to fight anymore, instead they resorted to small muscle spasms. His hand fondled Dean's face one last time before they fell to his side. And with that, Sam gave a last sigh of air and went still. Dean kept his grip on Sam's neck, making sure he was dead for good this time. But it was obvious that he was. His face was bright red due to lack of air, his tongue thick and swollen in his mouth, which was hanging open. His hair was splayed around him, a sort of messy halo around his head. His eyes were completely rolled back in his head, only the bottom of his irises could be seen, the rest was just the whites of his eyes. And Dean suddenly let go of his brother's neck, savouring the bruises imprinted there by his grip and knowing he had fulfilled his mistresses wishes.

XX

Aimo appeared behind the others, and looked at them curiously.

"What are you doing?" he asked, and they all jumped at his sudden appearance. Cox however, recovered first.

"Aimo, thank god, we need you to get to the other side! Bobby went demonic again, and we don't know but it sounded like a fight and we can't get through!" he said, and with that Aimo was gone.

Just in time to see Bobby raise a knife in order to murder Dean, who was sitting triumphantly on Sam's chest, and Aimo was horrified to see that Sam was once again dead. Forcing down tears, he looked at Bobby as he prepared to kill Dean, and raised his hand.

"I'm sorry Bobby. Please don't hate me Dean." He pleaded, and used a power he never thought he would use, and rendered Bobby immediately brain dead, and his body dropped to the floor.

Dean spun to look at the source of the noise, and Aimo saw the bloody sigil drawn on his arm, and healed it with a flick of his finger. And as he did so, the demonic control over him was broken. And he barely spared a glance at Bobby as he turned to look at his dead brother.

"Sam. Sammy!" Dean cried pleadingly.

No, he couldn't have killed Sam again, he couldn't have done it again. Sam couldn't be dead again for a start. He just couldn't be. Sam was meant to be here, meant to be alive. Not lying dead on the floor, his eyes rolled back in his head, the victim of his own big brother's unknowing attack. He couldn't have killed Sam, he wouldn't have killed Sam.

"Sammy..." Dean pleaded, getting off his brother's chest and feeling for a pulse, for a breath of air, for anything that would indicate that his little brother was still his.

But there was nothing to be had. In trying to protect Sam, he had given him the keys to his own destruction. He had murdered his little brother for the second time.

"Sammy!" Dean screamed, and Aimo flicked his finger at Bobby, who looked at him in surprise and looked down at his body in shock.

"You brought me back as a ghost?" he asked, and Aimo nodded sadly.

"I had no choice but to kill you Bobby, I had to save Dean. But I got here too late." He said sadly, looking at Sam's body.

Bobby looked at the scene, hating himself. He had been the one who had been out of control, he had been the one who had assumed control of Dean, branded him with a sigil just like his own. He had turned Dean into a mindless assassin, and now, that mindless assassin had murdered his target, who was his little brother.

And now, in a room with three people and a corpse, two of those present were blaming themselves for the death of Sam.

"Sam...I'm so sorry Sammy, I was meant to protect you, meant to look after you. And now I've killed you twice, I'm so sorry I'm such a lousy big brother. Please come back Sammy. I love you, come back, I'm begging you, come back." Dean whispered to his fallen brother, once more on the verge of hyperventilating.

"Dean..." Bobby said but Dean ignored the ghost, ignored the entire world except for his dead baby brother.

Dean had done it. He had been the one who had throttled the life out of his baby brother, he had been the one who had snuffed out his life force. He had killed Sammy, his Sammy, all over again. And with Crowley busy in hell and Raphael about to destroy the world, this time there would be no coming back from it, he was dead, gone for good, at the hands of his big brother. Dean sobbed, closing Sam's eyes gently and holding his brother to him. It was over, it was done. He had killed Sam, he was the one who had murdered his little brother. Screw it. Screw the world. Screw the Apocalypse. Sam was gone, he had done it, and this time there was no magical out.

Aimo looked sadly as Dean let out a wail of hysterical grief as the full realisation that his brother was now gone sunk in. He had murdered his little brother, and while the last one had been an accident, this had been different, this one was much more insidious, this time he had been compelled to kill Sam, on the orders of the other he loved the most, who was on the orders of Lilith. And now, two of their party were dead and they had no way to fix it.

Why couldn't he resurrect people? He could help, he could get Sam back, but only if he could. Aimo felt tears gather in his eyes. Bobby was dead, but he had forced him to remain as a ghost, once more binding him to the flask. Sam was also dead, murdered by his big brother, who he was always going to be unable to defend against, a small part of Sam was just built that way, to surrender to Dean. And now Dean was hysterical, crying his heart out into his brother's hair as he pounded the floor time and again with his fist. Aimo let out a sob. This wasn't fair, Sam wasn't supposed to be dead! None of them were supposed to be, not yet. And what was the point in being an angel if he couldn't heal his friends?

"I hate this!" Aimo screamed, and while Dean ignored him, Bobby looked at him in shock, not expecting the angel to say anything.

"Aimo?" he asked, and Aimo wiped furious, upset tears from his eyes.

"What's the point in being an angel if I can't even fix this?" he demanded angrily, pointing at Sam.

And abruptly Sam took a deep breath and began coughing violently, and Dean dropped him in surprise, making Sam yelp as he coughed.

"Sammy?" Dean asked in shock, and Sam took a wheezing breath and looked at his brother in wonder.

"Dean? I was dead, I saw you crying..." he said, and a delighted grin broke out on Dean's face and he wrapped his baby brother in a hug, smothering him in it.

"Did I do that? Hey, I'm pretty amazing!" Aimo said, and Bobby chuckled as Aimo looked on at his handy work.

"Dean, get off me, you just strangled me, now you want to smother me?" Sam asked, his voice amused and Dean let go, looking at his brother tenderly.

"Sammy I'm so sorry, I couldn't help it, I tried, but it was me, I couldn't stop it, it was like being possessed, I tried to..." Dean said, and then Sam slapped him up the head, hard.

"That was for killing me." He snarled, and Dean hung his head in shame.

"Sammy..."

He then hit him again.

"And that was for getting us into this mess in the first place by knocking me out!" Sam shouted, getting to his feet.

Dean smiled a little, delighted to hear his brother scolding him.

"Sorry Sammy. Sam, I swear..." Dean said, and Sam nodded, smiling a little.

"I know. You were trying to protect me, and it bit us in the ass. And I know you couldn't control it." He said, and Dean smiled, and Sam turned to smile at Aimo, who was looking at his hands, impressed with himself.

"Thanks Aimo." He said thankfully, and the angel gave him a wide grin.

"You're welcome!" he said chirpily.

The boys turned to Bobby, looking at him uncertainly.

"Bobby..." Dean began, and he shook his head.

"Forget it Dean. This was all my fault, I couldn't control it. Aimo did the right thing. I'm so sorry boys. And Sam, I never expected Dean to kill you, I..."

"Bobby, forget it." Sam said, and Dean looked at his brother in exasperation.

"Sammy, I just killed you! If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have done it in the first place. Be mad at me, be mad at him, come on, something!" Dean yelled, and Sam rolled his eyes, and Aimo winced as he suddenly punched Dean in the mouth, sending his brother to the floor.

"Huh?" Dean asked in confusion, staring up at Sam as he crouched down beside him, smiling.

"That's what you didn't get last time either you jackass. This isn't your fault! This isn't Bobby's fault. And while I'm mad at you for getting us into this mess in the first place, I don't hate you or blame you for killing me, you ass! This is all Lilith's fault. And she's on her way here. And we don't know if Bobby being a ghost will stop it, so why don't you shut up and stop thinking I should hate you, because I don't, and help me kill the person we really want dead, Lilith." He said, and Dean smiled ruefully.

"Alright, I get it. I screwed up, but you don't hate me, you're just pissed with me. And, if Lilith is coming here, so are all the others." He said, and Sam nodded.

"Exactly. Now, I'm getting pretty pissed off with this. I don't hate you Dean, I never did. So why not accept it? I don't blame you for this, for any of this. A guy I've looked up to all my life keeps telling me that all the bad stuff wasn't my fault, that mom wasn't my fault, that Jess wasn't my fault, that I'm not evil, not a freak, not a monster, that they don't hate me. And one of the things that pisses me off most about him is the fact that he'll never believe the same thing about himself. I don't hate you Dean, even when I'm totally pissed at you when you're a whining, self pitying miserable brat, I still never hate you. You're my big brother, and I know you didn't mean to kill me. So, save it ok?" Sam asked in a slightly amused exasperation, and Dean nodded.

"Yes sir." He said, and Sam nodded, before turning to Bobby.

"And the same goes for you." He said scoldingly, and Bobby nodded.

"Got it."

He then turned to Aimo, who was still feeling very proud of himself.

"Can you get us out of here?" he asked, and he nodded, transporting them all outside.

"Aww Bobby, are you dead again?" Jody asked in dismay, and he nodded.

"Yeah, hopefully it'll stop me going all Salt on you guys." He said, and Aimo looked at him sadly.

"I'm sorry Bobby, I had to save Dean, we'd already lost Sam." He said, and Bobby waved off the explanation.

"It's alright kid, I've been dead before, I'm ok with it. You did the right thing." He assured him, and Jody looked at Sam.

"What did he mean, we lost you?" she asked, and he shrugged.

"I died again, no big deal. Dean strangled me, but Aimo here resurrected me." He said proudly, and Aimo blushed.

"Good for you!" Cox said, impressed, and Missouri, who had been sitting down, looked up at them worriedly.

"I...I had a vision when you boys were in there." She said, and Meg looked at her, realisation on her face.

"I wondered why you went all funny, I thought you were lightheaded. What's the news?" she asked, and Missouri sighed.

"They're coming. Midnight. They get here at midnight, I saw your watch change Sam. That's when they arrive, all of them. Looks like your plan to draw them all out works. But..." she began, and Dean looked at her worriedly.

"But what?" he asked suspiciously.

She looked at the boys sadly, tears in her eyes.

"But Raphael kills you in the process." She said to Dean, and Sam sent a look of alarm at his brother just as the ruins started to rumble and shake.

"Dean..." Sam said, his voice sounding scared and upset, but Dean shook his head.

"No time to get out of it anyway Sammy. Five minutes to midnight. This is it. We need to get ready." He said softly, but Sam shook his head.

"But..." he protested, but Dean shook his head, sending his brother a tender look as he did so, hating the scared, desperate expression on Sam's face.

"But nothing Sammy. We're after all the big bads here. You just said yourself that we're after the big bads here, the ones really behind all this. That's what we've got to stop. Regardless of what else happens. Ok?" Dean asked urgently, as the shaking got worse, and Sam, tears in his eyes, nodded.

His brother was going to die. He couldn't let that happen. He'd averted his own visions. He would avert Missouri's too, whatever it took.

Dean gulped, and looked at the others.

"Alright. Here goes. Thanks guys, for everything. And try to stay alive." He said with a weak grin, and they all nodded and scurried to their positions, readying their weapons.

Leaving Sam and Dean, Sam with frightened tears in his eyes, looking at each other.

"Be careful ok?" Dean asked, his voice wavering as he looked at his little brother, and Sam sniffed and gave him a small grin.

"I will if you will." He said, making Dean smirk.

"Deal." He said, and took his two rings from his pocket.

Sam then followed suit and they walked to the altar, on opposite sides of the destroyed room from the other.

"Sammy..." Dean said hesitantly, and Sam smiled at him.

"I know." He whispered back, and Dean nodded, looking proudly at his little brother, and they waited for the final showdown.

XX

Dean fingered the two rings, Death and War's, nervously, thinking. This time was different. He knew he had been the one to kill Sam, but it felt different somehow, he wasn't being consumed with a mad quest for revenge and a desire to kill Lilith. Well he did want to kill Lilith, after all, it was the only way Sam was ever going to be safe from her. But while she was the reason Bobby had gone nuts and had had to be killed by Aimo, and while she was by extension the reason that Dean had been turned into a mindless assassin, he didn't feel the same as he had last time. Maybe he had finally learned to listen to his little brother. He snorted, hiding a grin. He doubted it.

He pondered. He wanted her dead, it was the only way Sam was going to be safe, including from him. After all, she seemed to delight in being the one who to drive Dean to kill his baby brother. But Sam, being Sam, didn't mind. He was angry that Dean had unintentionally brought it about by knocking him out and had hence gotten him killed, but for actually killing him, he didn't seem to mind. In fact he was downright forgiving about the entire thing, just as he had been last time. Maybe Sam finally losing it with him and telling him exactly what he thought about him had broken something in Dean, a sort of block that had needed to be broken. He actually felt good again, and strange though it was, despite the fact that there was a very real possibility that they all might die, he was actually looking forward to the coming battle. He hadn't felt this good about a hunt in years, not unless it involved naked women. And now, here he was, the target of every big bad in the books, and he was actually looking forward to the coming battle.

Not that Missouri's vision didn't bother him. But, he knew full well that the bad guys who were after them were all going to be gunning for him and Sam in particular. Provided they didn't hurt Sam, he could cope with that. Dean frowned a little, a fearful feeling in his gut. Yeah, he was afraid to die. He was afraid of leaving Sam alone again, he didn't want to abandon his baby brother, not with the Leviathans out there. But at least he was actually trying to stay alive now. He nodded grimly to himself. He hadn't been afraid to die since before Sam had died originally. But now that he thought about it, despite how crappy their lives had been, how much they had been hurt and screwed over during the years, he still wanted to keep on going, with his baby brother just like always. Dean looked at Sam, who was preparing Famine and Pestilence's rings and smiled a little. He'd been brilliant through all of this, and had finally broken his big brother out of his lethargy. And now, he could see that his baby brother was scared, scared of what Missouri had seen in her vision, scared that yet again he was going to lose his big brother. He wouldn't let that happen.

"Ready Sammy?" Dean asked, and Sam, his eyes dry, his face determined and also the small smirk of anticipation on his face just like Dean, nodded.

"Yeah. Dean...don't die." He begged, and Dean smirked.

"No chance. Same goes for you kiddo." He warned, and the shaking was accompanied by a high pitched noise, making everyone who was hiding elsewhere wince.

"Now!" Dean said, and threw his rings onto the floor, as Sam did the same with his own.

The four rings landed on the floor, and as if magnetic suddenly slid across to each other, forming a small metal cluster. The ground began to shake, and electricity began to crackle, joining with the noise that indicated Raphael's approach. The four rings then separated from each other, each one forming a separate point, and electricity branched between all four of them, a shining beam that acted as a bridge to each of the rings.

There was then a rustling, and Dean turned to see Raphael, backed up by more angels than he was meant to have as he looked at Dean and Sam in excitement.

"You have saved me a lot of trouble boys. Now, at last, the Apocalypse will come about, and this time, you will not interfere." He ground out, and Dean looked at the archangel contemptuously.

"Yeah, we will. You think we're just going to let you doom the world you asshole?" he asked and Raphael glowered at him.

"No, I think you probably intend to reverse it as soon as the cage opens, but if you think I'm going to allow that to happen then you are seriously mistaken. Fatally in fact." Raphael growled, raising his hand.

"Not so fast Raphael." A voice said, and Sam and Dean turned to see a woman of medium height, with a pale face and red hair entering the room, a blood red chain held in her hand which was topped with a lethal looking metal ball encased with wicked little spikes. And behind her was a group of demons, all black eyed, all leering at them in anticipation. It could only be Lilith's new body.

"The Reficul chain..." Raphael said in astonishment as he beheld the weapon in her hand.

"Yes. And I must agree with the boys, I can't allow you to start the Apocalypse. Don't get too excited though boys. You're still going to die." She assured them, and there was then a hiss from the shadows as Gordon, Grant and Verity moved out of them.

"Not by your hand demon, Sam Winchester belongs to me." Gordon vowed and Sam narrowed his eyes at the vampire hatefully.

"I'm afraid not vampire, his life belongs to me." Emily said as she and her hunters descended the ruined stairs.

"And all of your lives belong to us." Valente said as he and his back up appeared, and Sam and Dean grinned at each other.

Right on time.

"Gotcha." Dean said, as a jolt of electricity fired into the ground, and the angels all took a hasty step back as the ground started to fall away, and Lilith smiled in delight.

"My father, walking the earth without requiring me to die. Why couldn't we have thought of this before?" she asked, watching as the rings started to spin, as the hole deepened, enough to see fire rising within it.

The entire building began to shudder and rock as a bright column of fire blazed upwards, and Raphael looked on in delight.

"Brothers!" he cried in greeting as the fire blew through the destroyed roof, and the entire building seemed determined to shake itself into oblivion as the air around them got considerably hotter, the entire building shaking and Sam and Dean had to take a step back from the out of control flames that were now escaping directly from the cage.

"NOW!" Sam yelled, and the others made their move.

Garth and Tamara opened fire on the Leviathans, shooting them in the head with a shotgun, knocking them off their feet. Missouri, Reynolds and Meg opened fire as well, scattering the hunters and sending them diving for cover to get away from the hail of bullets, distracting them from the boys.

"Hey, asshat!" Marion called, and Raphael turned in time to be banished by a sigil, leaving only the vampires and demons to be dealt with.

Aimo then appeared out of nowhere and with a cocky grin blasted the demons away from the two Winchesters, and that allowed Cox and Meg to scatter the vampires. Sam and Dean used the time to run towards the rings, snatching them from mid air, the fire still erupting from the hole.

"Hurry! I can feel them coming!" Aimo yelled as the door to the cage buckled and writhed, widening in order to allow the two archangels to once again walk the earth, and peering down, Dean could see a large orb of light shooting up the shaft, and he gulped, knowing they had to be fast. He readied his two rings and looked at his brother.

"Sammy!" Dean yelled as Sam was looking at the hole as though frozen in fear, his mouth set and his eyes worried.

"Sammy!" Dean yelled again when he got no response, and Dean shook his head as the hole widened further and further, more debris falling into it as the light accelerated towards the surface, about to set loose an archangel on the world again if they didn't hurry.

"Dean..." Sam whispered sadly, and he looked intently at his baby brother.

"We got you out Sammy." He reminded him gently, but Sam shook his head.

"But Adam's still in there Dean." He said sadly, and Dean looked at the rising light, and realising they were screwed no matter who came out, he shook his head.

"I know it stinks Sammy. But we've got to end this." He said, and Sam nodded just as Lilith struggled towards them, despite Aimo's persistent attempts to smite her.

"No!" she shrieked, but she was too late, as, hating themselves, Sam and Dean threw the rings together once more.

The rings slammed together, the sound reverberating through the ruined building, and they began to spin in mid air. Dean looked down worriedly, the light beginning to burn, and he heard a snarl rise from the light and he knew who it was, who was trying to break free.

A seriously pissed off Michael.

The rings split apart, splitting to the four points and once more began to spin, heedless of the powerful being rising to free himself and began to rotate in the air, energy once more coursing between the four rings. Michael gave a furious cry as the floor began to repair itself, the rubble flying back into the place. Dean and Sam winced as the fire exploded in a massive fireball outwards, sending them ducking to the floor as the fireball scorched the room, and with a furious, nerve tingling, earth moving scream, the cage was shut, once more trapping Michael and Lucifer back in the cage.

Dean and Sam, slightly sooty, looked at each other in relief. It was over. The Apocalypse was averted, the seals reset and Lucifer safely in his box where he belonged.

Aimo looked on at them, a proud grin on his face.

"It's over. You did it! The seals have gone back to normal!" he said excitedly, and at Dean's nod he flashed the rings away to safety.

There was then a rustle behind them, and the boys looked round to see a pissed off Raphael glowering at them.

"You have ruined my Apocalypse. Now you will pay for all that you have done." He snarled and blasted the two boys over the room as the other factions recovered from their first attack.

"I think not Raphael. It is time for an ending. And that includes you." Lilith hissed, and with a vicious roar, the vampires and Leviathans sprang into action, the hunters began spraying bullets around the room, and the demons and angels gave war cries and sped towards each other, going for the kill as soon as it began.

Gordon immediately went for Sam, sharp teeth going right for his neck. Sam gave a grimace and swung his fist upwards, catching the vampire in the chin and sending him staggering back. Beside him, Dean drew the scythe and rushed into the throng of the battle, where Meg and Garth, Garth armed with the other knife they had found, fought the demons head on. Sam pulled out the archangel sword and spun it at Gordon, forcing the vampire into retreat as the entire place turned into a warzone.

The demons and angels slammed into each other furiously, the fight immediately becoming fast and dirty as they clashed. Despite his desire to kill the boys, Raphael was now engaged in a battle with Lilith, her swinging the crimson chain around her head and flicking it at him like a whip, forcing him backwards, his electric attacks coursing at her but smashing into the chain, giving her weapon added juice. Featherstone gave a roar and advanced upon Cox and Marion, both of whom were firing at the evil hunters. Dean dashed to face her, and she snarled as she saw him.

"I owe you a beating you butt ugly bitch." He snarled and swung the scythe at her.

Emily fired a bullet right between Grant's eyes, making the vampire hiss in pain and leap towards her, going for her neck. Missouri saw this and smiled, resolving to deal with her later as she smashed her rifle butt into Garrett's gut, making the other hunter stumble. Garrett spat at her angrily, bringing a wicked little knife to bear against her.

"Now that's just rude, bringing a knife to a gun fight." She said, catching his wrist as he plunged it at her.

"Filthy psychic." He spat, as she turned him away from her.

Meg darted up at Duane, knife going for his neck, but he gave a superior smile.

"Nice try you little traitor. Banging angels Meg, Azazel would be so disappointed in you." He said, and she glowered at him.

"At least I didn't decide to work for someone he detested. What are you doing working for her Duane? She's a monster even by our standards." She said, and cursed as he stabbed at her neck. She span on the spot, foot slamming into his chin and knocking him off his feet.

"Since your buddies wrecked the last Apocalypse, I haven't had much opportunity to practice my craft. She gives me that." He answered and leapt at her, tackling her in the stomach and spiralling her into the air, making her slam with a gasp down onto her back.

Villar was locked in a battle with Aimo, and the young angel was also beset Elijah, a small angel with a wicked smile.

"Angels are all the same." Villar hissed and gave a roar, teeth plunging down at Aimo, who immediately appeared behind him, making the monster stumble towards Elijah.

"Back off Leviathan, he belongs to us." Elijah snarled, angel sword going right for Aimo, but the young angel was struck by an idea.

Appearing on Villar's back, he grabbed a hold of each jaw of the Leviathan. Villar gave a furious roar and began to buck under the angel, and Aimop grinned as he did so. Elijah gave a smug smirk and stabbed upwards with his sword, but Aimo dodged the attack, and with a burst of effort, he directed the Leviathan into Elijah's path and let go, appearing on the opposite side of the room. Villar stumbled forward, his jaws clamping down on Elijah's chest. The angel gave a piteous wail as he was ripped apart, and Aimo smirked. Score one to the good guys.

Tamara fired a shot at Vance, who winced as her bullet got too close.

"You keep trying to kill Sam, but you just saw with your own eyes that he was stopping the Apocalypse! I've been with the guy these past few weeks, and believe me there isn't an evil bone in his body!" she shouted angrily, and Vance glowered at her.

"He's a double agent, a sleeper, he was sent by Lucifer!" he insisted and she rolled her eyes and fired at him again.

Featherstone was running away from Dean, forced away by his use of the scythe. But that had left him open to attack from behind, and Gordon, who Sam had forced off and was now locked in a battle with Lamech, saw the opportunity. Smiling to himself, he pulled out the barbed wire whip that he had used to torture Sam before. He had preserved it so that he could use it to murder Sam, but first, he was going to murder Sam's precious big brother.

Advancing upon Dean, he swung the whip, and Dean gave a cry of pain as the barbs cut into his skin, knocking him to the ground, blood streaming from the wicked little wounds on his neck and the side of his face, running down his shoulder.

"Dean!" Sam cried as he saw his brother fall, blood streaming from his back and neck, and looking on in alarm as he saw Gordon was the culprit.

Gordon smiled in delight as he advanced upon Dean as Dean turned to look up at the vampire, hand reaching desperately for the scythe. Gordon stamped down on Dean's wrist, watching out of the corner of his eyes as Sam struggled to get away from his battle with Lamech to run to his brother's side.

"You know...you were the decent one. Good hunter, knew what to kill, how to kill it. But," Gordon said and lashed the whip down onto Dean's face, making him cry out in pain, and Gordon smiled as Dean squirmed beneath him, "but you couldn't do what had to be done? I killed my own sister! And you couldn't kill your demonic bastard of a brother!" he bellowed and whipped Dean once again.

"Sam...isn't...evil." Dean spat, blood coming from dozens of wounds and he spat some blood up at Gordon, who sniffed in exhilaration at the smell.

"Oh but he is. It's because of him that I became what I am. And now, because of him, because of you, I'm this!" Gordon snarled and whipped him again, making Dean cry out in pain.

Sam, desperate to get to his brother, elbowed Lamech in the throat and with a vicious uppercut, he plunged the sword through the angels chin, making it erupt out of the back of his head, and the angel fell to the ground, wings emblazoned on the ground.

Gordon hoisted Dean up and slammed him into the wall, licking the blood from his neck, and Dean was kicking his legs, struggling to get out of his grip.

"You couldn't kill Sam. And look where it got us all. So many hunters, so many people dead, good people, all because you couldn't grow a pair!" Gordon spat, his dark eyes hungry and he slammed Dean into the wall again for good measure.

"He's my brother." Dean said stubbornly, spitting blood into Gordon's face.

"And you didn't even have the guts to kill him! I know he begged you, but you wouldn't! And then, he died and you still brought him back, it was all your fault, I became this because of the two of you, little demonic sleeper agents." Gordon snarled, and crashed Dean's head into the wall, making him go limp in his grip.

He looked blearily at Gordon, who smirked at he heard his heart beat faster, scenting the adrenaline and fear that was appearing in his bloodstream.

"If we're evil, what are you?" Dean whispered weakly, and Gordon hissed at him furiously.

"Justice. I'm doing what people should have done long ago...putting you Winchesters down like the dogs you are!" he hissed and a bullet rang just beside his head, and Gordon twirled, wrapping a weak and bleeding Dean in a headlock as he glowered at Sam.

"Let him go." Sam ground out, advancing slowly, and Gordon held up a hand, holding a finger up in the air and making Sam stop short.

"One more step and I bite big brother, then watch as you have to put him down." He said darkly, and Sam came to a stop, looking at Dean worriedly, and Gordon pulled up the barbed wire whip, and ignoring Dean's frantic scrambling, he wrapped the whip around his neck.

"Let go of him you son of a bitch, it's me you want!" Sam yelled, and Gordon smiled victoriously, ignoring the battle going on around them as he prepared to take his revenge.

"Don't think I will. Rumour has it Dean makes a good vampire." Gordon said, and Dean made a disgusted moaning sound in his throat as Gordon licked the streaming blood from him.

Dean scrambled, but Gordon pulled the wire and Dean gagged, the barbs cutting into his neck.

"You remember how you killed me last time Sam? I think it's only fair if I kill your precious big brother the same way!" Gordon roared, and kicked Dean down to the ground, making him fall to his knees, and Dean looked sorrowfully up at Sam as he did so.

And Sam moved, flinging the angel sword through the air and Dean gasped as the blade plunged into the hissing vampire's chest, pinning him to the wall, and as he struggled to get free of the trap he was now in, his hands let go of the whip around Dean's throat and Dean collapsed to the floor weakly, blood pouring from his wounds and he was wheezing softly.

Sam advanced menacingly upon the vampire, who was trying to yank the blade out, but the pain was too much and he was screaming loudly as he tried to free himself. Gordon looked at Sam in alarm as he crouched down beside his brother, touching Dean's cheek gently, and carefully unwrapped the whip from his weak brother's neck.

"Sammy..." Dean whispered, and Sam gave him a small smirk.

"You'll want to watch this." He said and glowered at Gordon, who was still trying to free himself from the bind he was in, but it was to no avail, try as he might, he couldn't get free, the power of the archangel blade holding him in place.

"You demonic little traitor." Gordon spat angrily, squirming on the end of the sword, unable to free himself.

"One, despite your efforts, I'm not demonic, not anymore and never will be again. Two, you're the monster, the vampire, not me. And three, I did warn you I was going to kill you slowly and painfully for murdering my brother, and now you've just tried to do it again." Sam hissed, and Gordon began to squirm as Sam wrapped the whip around each leg, then stretched it up to include each arm, and then, with a small bit left, he wrapped it around Gordon's head, deftly ignoring his attempts to bite him.

"No, no, no!" Gordon spat, and Sam glowered at him hatefully, and pulled the whip tight, the barbs cutting into his hands as he did so, blood running free.

But that didn't help Gordon. The vampire was giving a pained, terrified scream as the barbed wire cut through his organs, blood running from his neck, his arms and his legs as Sam pulled the whip ever tighter. Sam glowered hatefully at the man who had made his life hell, had tried to assassinate him, the man who had come back from the dead to prey on him once again, the man who had murdered his big brother. Gordon howled in pain as the wire cut further into his skin gnashing his teeth furiously as he tried to bite Sam, but pinned as he was by the sword, he couldn't free himself.

"I hate you!" Gordon yelled in impotent rage and Sam gave him a dark, scary smile.

"The feeling's mutual you asshole. But yet, despite me being demonic, I'm still alive, and you're about to be dead." He spat furiously, as Sam, ignoring the pain in his hands and the blood running down his wrists, pulled the whip ever tighter. Gordon screamed furiously as his two legs dropped off, the whip relaxing, but Sam simply pulled it tighter, and a second later, Gordon screaming, his arms also fell off and Sam pulled the whip as tight as it would go, and with a last, pained, bloody gasp, Gordon's head popped off its body, spraying the wall with blood and rolling to a stop.

"This time, stay dead." Sam spat and picked Dean up gently.

"Sammy?" Dean asked weakly, and Sam, on the lookout for Aimo, looked down at him.

"Yeah?" he asked, and spotting the angel he beckoned him over.

"Remind me never to piss you off." Dean said softly, and Sam grinned, and Aimo appeared beside them, and with a click of his fingers, Dean was fully healed as was Sam.

"Thanks pal." Dean said, picking up his scythe and Sam removed his sword from the wall and rushed back into the fight.

Tamara fired another salt round into Tammi, making the witch back off.

"Meg!" she yelled, and Meg flipped the sword to her as she once more squared off with Verity.

"Nice try." Tammi sneered, and Tamara suddenly doubled over as Tammi pointed at her, her stomach boiling.

"What?" Tamara asked weakly, and the witch smiled.

"Your stomach is about to explode, and dissolve you from the inside out." She said with evil delight, and gathering her strength, fighting through the pain, Tamara threw the demon killing knife with all of her might.

Tammi screamed in alarm as the knife plunged right into her heart, and with a crackle, she fell to the floor dead, and Tamara, wheezing weakly, smiled victoriously down on her.

Villar swung his arm at Garth sending the small hunter flying through the air and smashing him into a pile of rubble, which promptly collapsed, trapping him beneath it.

"Garth!" Cox called in surprise, watching in fear as the Leviathan ran to the fallen hunter to end him.

"Hey, big gob!" Dean yelled, and swung the scythe right through Villar's neck.

Villar gave a surprised roar, and as his head fell from his body, the air around his body rippled as though burning hot, and the head and the body then exploded, showering the area in black goo.

"Interesting, so that's what happens when you actually kill a Leviathan." Dean mused, and swung the scythe down into the back of Qanel, killing the demon before he could further harm a knocked down Marion.

"Thanks." He said cheerfully, hopping to his feet.

Charlie was pinned down by fire from Reynolds. This couldn't happen. He had to get to Dean, he had to kill Dean, get revenge for what he did to his brother. And Reynolds was in the way of that plan.

"Stand down!" Reynolds barked firing at him again, and Charlie swore as a bullet just missed his nose.

"Go to hell, you're siding with a murderer!" he yelled, and Reynolds scoffed.

"He fights monsters, which you're working with. Who's the real monster?" he challenged, and Charlie gave a roar of fury and threw a chunk of rubble in Reynold's general direction, and the yelp encouraged Charlie to leap out from his hiding place. Dodging the hole in the floor, he ran to Reynolds, who gave him a grim smile as he met him with a drawn gun.

"You lose sucker." Reynolds said, and cocked his finger to fire, and the enormity that he failed was just setting in when a bullet lanced out and Reynolds gave a funny little jerk as blood poured from his neck. He made a weak noise in his throat and he fell back against the wall, sliding down, leaving a bloody streak on the wall behind him as he did so, and Charlie smiled at Emily as she ran past, gun smoking.

"Reynolds!" Sam gasped in shock as he saw the death of the FBI agent.

Charlie gave a victorious smile as he saw Dean and was about to run towards him when a bullet just missed him, and he turned to see the furious, disgusted expression of Marion.

"You failed yourself boy. I never would have thought that an officer of mine would sink as low as you." He said in contempt, eyes narrowed, and Charlie raised his gun angrily.

"He killed my brother!"

Marion rolled his eyes.

"And your friends have just murdered someone doing the right thing, and before that you were working with someone who wants to kill us all. You have a serious case of double standards boy. Now, put the gun down." Marion ordered, and Charlie shook his head.

"No. Dean has to die, him and his brother! They aren't human, they aren't good people, they're monsters!"

Marion shook his head in disappointment.

"Those monsters just saved this miserable planet. Drop the gun. I won't ask again." Marion said darkly, and Charlie scoffed.

"Please Marion, as if you have the guts to shoot someone in cold blood." He said derisively.

Marion shrugged, and squeezed the trigger.

Charlie gave a gasp as the bullet exploded through his ribs, right through his midriff. He looked at the bloodstain blossoming on his shirt and with a defeated wheeze, he toppled backwards, down the hole and out of sight.

Marion looked down at where his deputy had fallen in disgust, not even caring. He had made his choice.

"Marion!" Meg called, and he turned to see Vance advance upon him.

"I grew to quite like him. And you just killed him. Bad move copper." He sneered, and Marion realised he wouldn't get his gun up in time to defend himself, but just then Vance gave a shudder and his body fell, a knife embedded in his spinal column, Jody standing behind him furiously.

"That'll learn him." She said, grabbing the long knife and after Marion gave her a thankful nod, she ran off to fight elsewhere.

Up on the altar platform, Lilith and Raphael were still going at it, his sword blocking her chain, neither side able to gain an advantage against the other.

"You cannot kill me while I wield this chain angel, and you know it." She hissed smugly, and he narrowed his eyes.

"Well, a simple matter then, to take your hand." He sneered and then huffed in pain as she slammed the flail into his stomach, crashing him back into the altar. Giving a roar of frustration, he sprang at her, tackling her to the ground and punching her in the face like a brute, pummelling the demon.

Jezzabel blasted apart Molloch, sending Jahi and Caym running for cover. Grant then sprang at the angel, slamming her head into the ground before rolling off her, grinning at her tauntingly.

"You dare touch me you filthy little animal?" she demanded, and then screamed as a blade erupted from her back, revealing Bobby behind her, and she dropped to the floor, wings emblazoned on the dirty ground.

Valente gave a roar as he ripped the head off of Valafar, the demon blood filling his nostrils. He had to do this, he had to kill them all, end this, it was the only way Roman would ever forgive him. Behind him, Cox caught the scythe as Dean threw it and swung it, about to take off his head. Valente gave a snarl and turned, grabbing a hold of the doctor's hand. Cox struggled, grunting in irritation, and Valente roared in delight.

"Should never have left that morgue doc." He said and forced the scythe into Cox's stomach.

"NO!" Dean yelled as the doctor toppled backwards, blood flowing from the wound, and he tackled the Leviathan away from his fallen companion.

"Give them hell...from me." Cox whispered before he went still, and Dean looked down at the fallen doctor in shock.

Sam winced as Virgil slammed Aimo in the gut, crashing their angel into the ceiling, laughing tauntingly as Aimo plunged back down to the earth.

"You betray us." Virgil sneered, kicking Aimo in the gut.

Aimo cried out in pain, hoping Sam would arrive in time to save him.

"You ally with the Winchesters." Virgil spat, kicking Aimo in the gut.

Sam brought the sword back, ready to kill the assassin when Featherstone appeared with a roar, smacking him into a pile of rubble and Sam grunted as his head hit the concrete and he blacked out.

"No..." Aimo whispered, seeing Featherstone advance upon Sam, ready to kill him, and then Virgil seized him by the neck, distracting him from worrying about Sam as he raised him into the air with one hand, the other hand wielding the sword he was bringing back to kill him with.

"And you thought you could get away with it?" Virgil demanded, and Aimo shot him a cocky grin.

"Yeah." He said, and kicked outwards and Virgil exclaimed in pain as Aimo's foot collided with his groin.

Giving a wheeze, Aimo squirmed from Virgil's grip as the assassin reeled, diving for his sword and vanishing as soon as he had it. Virgil, regaining the use of his faculties, looked around furiously, only to hear a crunching sound above him. He looked up and paled as Aimo blew a hole in the ceiling, and with a scream Virgil was crushed under several heavy pieces of stone. Aimo, beaten but not broken, smiled down at the trapped assassin as he struggled to free himself.

"Bye jackass." He said, and with a terrified scream, Aimo ended Virgil's life by plunging his sword right into his heart.

Tamara threw herself at Featherstone, blade swinging for her neck as she forced her away from a faintly stirring Sam. Aimo was rushing to her aid as well, and she knew all she had to do was hold her off. Featherstone gave a roar and sprang, forcing Tamara backwards.

"Tamara!" Sam gasped as he struggled to righten his vision, and he stabbed upwards with the blade, catching the Leviathan in the gut making her snarl. Tamara smirked and swung the blade as Aimo reached them, blade going for the Leviathan's neck. Featherstone seized her hand and jerked the blade from her, while pulling herself off of Sam's blade.

"Nice try." She snarled and gave a roar, just as Aimo blasted her with an attack, sending the Leviathan hurtling away from them.

"You ok?" he asked and they nodded.

"Not for long!" Verity crowed as she leapt out of the shadows and Tamara screamed as Verity's sharp teeth punctured her carotid artery.

"No!" Aimo yelled as the vampire, cackling, leapt away as Sam stooped to catch the dying hunter.

"Sam..." she said weakly as blood gushed from the wound.

"No, Tamara!" Sam protested, and he looked to Aimo for help before the angel was sent spiralling away, crackling with electricity as a lightning bolt from Raphael crashed into him.

"Go get them..." Tamara whispered, and she went still in Sam's arms.

Sam lowered her body to the floor, and gave a furious snarl, and preparing his sword, he ran towards Raphael.

Garrett swung the knife down, and Missouri gave a cry as it cut through her leg, making her drop to the ground as he advanced on her, ready to finish her.

"Goodbye psychic." He snarled, and she smiled.

"Goodbye." She said, and he looked at her curiously, before Bobby flickered to life, snatched the knife from his hand and stabbed the man right in the mouth. Garrett, choking on the knife, looked at Bobby in disbelieving horror and he keeled backwards, dead.

"You ok?" Bobby asked gruffly, and she nodded.

"I'll be fine." She assured him, and winced as Lilith took Jeremiah's head off with a swing of the chain.

Lilith then turned to face the two of them, white eyes shimmering, and Missouri went pale as she raised her hand. Dean slammed into her, but a second too late and the blast hit just in front of Missouri, sending her spinning like a rag doll into the rubble.

Lilith smirked and cracked the chain at Dean, knocking him off balance and gestured, flinging him over the room with a gesture. She then heard the rustle of wings behind her and she turned just in time to see Raphael appear, his blade going right for her hand.

"Your powers are ebbing demon." He spat, and she looked at him, delighting in the wounds she had inflicted.

"As are yours angel." She sneered in response and cracked the chain once more, forcing the angel away from her.

As the angel and the demon brawled, Duane was trying to inject Croatoan into a fallen Jody.

"It won't hurt a bit." He assured her as she struggled, trying to get free.

"Neither will this." Meg spat and stabbed him in the head and he cried out in pain, eyes flickering as he slumped to the floor, dead.

"Thanks for the save." Jody said as Meg helped her to her feet.

Meg smirked and ran at Jahi, who was still fighting with Featherstone. Dean and Sam were surrounded by the hellhounds that Lilith had just summoned to defend her while she continued her duel with Raphael, neither one of them gaining the advantage. While the boys seemed more than equal to the challenge, despite the scratches they had endured, Verity was approaching them, and she leapt towards them. Jody hissed in anger, she was beyond done with that vampire. Cracking off a bullet, she caught the vampire in the chest, and the vampire hissed at her, advancing upon her, sharp claws going for Jody's throat.

"Get the hell away from those boys you bitch." Jody spat, and swung her knife.

Verity, shocked by the ferocity of her sudden attack, backtracked, ducking under the wild, ferocious swings of Jody. Jody advanced, the blade still swinging, and Verity darted towards her, teeth going for her throat. Jody swung the blade desperately, and to her great surprise it contacted, cutting through the vampire's arm. Verity gave a pained scream and took a stumble back, but as she did so, Jody spun and slashed the head off the vampire, sending it spiralling down the hole.

"That'll learn you." She said, and was knocked off her feet, crashing to the ground as a furious Grant advanced.

"You will die for that!" he vowed and bared his teeth, before a knife sliced through his neck and sent his head rolling to the floor.

"We're even now yes?" Marion asked as he helped her up.

"Yeah. Good work." She said thankfully, collecting her weapon.

"It was wasn't it. That's me, Marion the vampire slayer." He said, and she snorted in amusement.

"Yeah, you're right, it doesn't have the same ring to it as Buffy does it?" he lamented.

Raphael lunged for Lilith's body with his sword, and smiled in delight as it looked like he had finally killed her. She only cackled and an instant later he was blown backwards by another explosive attack.

"This is getting old." He snarled, and watched as Valente punched a hole in Salome, killing another of his angels.

Raphael gestured and the Leviathan was blown away, locking him in the sights of Aimo. Raphael then gestured and threw everything he could at Lilith, while she tried to lasso him with the chain, sending blasts his way while she did so.

"You cannot win demon!" he spat, and she spat at him in contempt as he once more reeled away from her attacks.

Featherstone came out of nowhere, knocking Marion off his feet. He thudded to the ground, and she plunged down, teeth going for his neck. Desperately, he kicked up at her, catching her in the mouth. And while he stopped her biting his neck, he regretted the decision as he jaws clamped shut in surprise and he roared in pain as the bottom part of his right leg was ripped off.

"Marion!" Jody yelled, making her way to his side when a bullet shot through her leg, dropping her to the floor with a yelp.

"Idiot." Emily sneered.

"Hey, booger breath!" Dean yelled as he appeared from behind Featherstone, who was about to finish a convulsing Marion when the scythe sliced right through her waist. She gave a wet gurgle, the air rippled and she too exploded.

Emily then fired at Dean, catching him in the shoulder as she advanced to the fallen three.

"I reckon you should die first Dean, I only hope your little brother is watching." She said, and then looked down in surprise as a hand grabbed her bare ankle.

"No he won't. You will." Missouri, who had pulled herself across the floor, spat and concentrated on the hunter, eyes narrowed.

Emily looked at her dismissively, pointing her gun at Missouri's head, but suddenly she found herself immobile. Missouri smiled in grim satisfaction, drawing on all the hatred and fear inside the girl, and pumping it back into her tenfold. Emily gasped, trying to free herself as a burning feeling went up her leg. She screamed as the touch became unbearable, struggling to free herself as the heat spread up her body as Missouri used her own emotions against her. Emily screamed in pain, thrashing in the tight grip, and with a painful scream, there was a smell of burning and fire erupted on Emily's leg, spreading up her body and Missouri let go in surprise. Emily gave a scream as the fire immolated her, spreading up her entire body and she ran away and her flaming body plummeted down the hole. Missouri saw this and passed out due to her exertion.

"Aimo!" Dean cried and the kid was promptly thrown to him by Valente, who was coming right for him.

Aimo flicked his hand at Marion's leg, stopping the bleeding.

"I don't know enough to fix it, and I can't fix the others either, I'm too tired." He said weakly, and there was then a delighted laugh as a fist slammed into his chin, knocking him to the floor, and Dean was blown across the room.

Aimo looked up in fear as Apronia sneered down at him.

"So many of us dead, all due to you! You ruined everything!" she screamed hysterically and Aimo realised she was going to kill him when a blade stabbed through her stomach.

Apronia looked down at the blade emerging from her gut in surprise, and looked over her shoulder to see a smug Meg standing behind her, and with a grunt Apronia fell, eyes blazing white as she died.

Raphael blew apart Caym with a gesture, while Sam stabbed a demon knife into Jahi. With that, he looked across at a bloodied Raphael, who was snarling at him dangerously. Meg looked at Lilith as Dean advanced towards her, and then saw Valente approaching too.

It was time for a showdown.

Bobby flickered to life behind Lilith, and swung a chunk of rock at her, making the demon stagger. As she did so, Meg made a dash for the wall, nodding to Aimo as she did so.

"So it comes to this then. The lot of us, fighting until judgement day." Raphael snarled as Sam glowered at the archangel.

"It won't take that long to kill you." Sam said with a smirk, and he nodded towards Meg.

Raphael turned and screamed as he was once more banished.

Lilith cracked her chain, crashing Meg in the gut and sending her toppling into the rubble, where she lay unmoving. She then turned and Bobby howled in pain as he was once more consumed with fire, dispersing into thin air.

"Together?" Sam whispered.

"Together." Dean responded and the two of them rushed at her, but the demon was quicker, her eyes pulsing and both of them screamed as they were blasted backwards, smoke rising from their chests as they crashed to the ground, where they lay stirring feebly.

"I grow tired of this little game." She hissed, raising the chain to kill Aimo as she approached the fallen boys.

Dean looked urgently at Aimo as Sam stirred beside him, both of them weak, their chests burned, their weapons lying beside them as Lilith and Valente approached.

"Get out of here." Dean urged, and Aimo shook his head, looking at their enemies bravely.

Sam opened his eyes and his heart stopped.

"Aimo!" he yelled as Raphael appeared behind the young angel, and with a satisfied smirk, Raphael stabbed his weapon through Aimo's chest.

"NO!" the boys yelled together as Aimo gave a weak moan and collapsed to the floor, trying to hold the blood in.

Sam groaned, trying to get to the kid, the angel who had just been stabbed by someone who was once his superior.

"No..." he whispered as Aimo looked at him sadly, his eyes looking at Sam and Dean fondly.

Raphael then laid a foot on Sam's hand, glaring down at the weak Winchester.

"No more Sam. It is over. You challenged me, you thwarted me, but now you have lost." He purred in malicious delight. Valente crouched down beside Dean, grinning widely.

"You gave us quite the run. But now it's going to end the way it always was going to...you dead and us the winners." He said smugly.

Lilith smiled down at them, her smile poisonously sweet.

"I will admit...you came pretty close to smacking us all down. What more you could you want?" she asked cockily.

Dean groaned as he looked around. Aimo was dying. Bobby was banished. Jody was unconscious, her leg still bleeding. Missouri was out, exhausted from her killing of Emily, and possibly on death's door herself. Marion was out cold, from the shock of having lost his leg and that could very well kill him if it hadn't already. Garth was piled under rubble, so they didn't know if he was dead or alive. Meg also wasn't moving. Reynolds was dead, as was Tamara and Cox. And now they were about to join them in death, defeated by the former lord of heaven, the former queen or hell and the former top of the food chain.

He then became aware of a presence in his mind.

"Dean, Sam...you can win this, I know you can. I believe in you both. Take the last of my strength, use it...to stop them." Aimo's voice said softly.

"Aimo...no..." Sam pleaded, and Dean shook his head as Lilith smiled down at him in triumph.

"It's my gift to you...thank you for being my friends." He said, and Dean suddenly felt a burst of energy fill him, healing the scarred ruins of his chest. Sam did the same, and Lilith looked down in shock.

"No!" she spat, her eyes shimmering.

"You want to know what we want? We want you to get out of our world, get out of our lives and leave us the hell alone!" Dean yelled, and kicked up at the demon, knocking her off her feet.

"Dean!" Sam cried, sliding the scythe towards his brother, and Dean sat bolt upright, throwing his scythe into his right hand and slicing upwards.

Valente gave a pained scream as the scythe cut through his neck, the air shimmered and he exploded, spraying black blood all over Raphael and Lilith. The two Winchesters leapt to their feet, Sam grabbing the sword as he did so.

Lilith grabbed for the chain which had fallen from her hand when she had been knocked down, but Sam got there first, stabbing the blade right through it and making her scream in pain.

"No!" Raphael barked, but Dean swung the scythe, knocking the angel off balance.

Lilith was screaming in pain as Sam grabbed the chain and whipped it at Raphael, slamming him in the face and sending him crashing into the wall.

Lilith rolled away from Sam, demon blood soaking the floor as she tried to escape, but Dean got there first, standing on her back as she rolled and grabbing her by her red hair.

"Going somewhere Lilith?" he spat savagely as he pulled her head back.

"Unhand me! Let me go!" she screeched, struggling to free herself from his grip, trying to bring her powers to bear.

But the pain in her hand was too much, and Sam then plunged the sword into her lower back, pinning her in place, and she struggled, trying to use her powers, but she was stuck, pinned to the floor, pain overriding her senses as she fought to free herself, and Dean sensed victory was near despite her attempts to escape.

"Not this time Lilith." Sam snarled, grabbing her hair hard and pulling her neck back, freeing his brother's hands to allow him to finish her.

"No! Please! No! Don't do it! Stop!" Lilith screamed frantically

"The first demon will be the last seal." Sam growled furiously.

"Not this time though." Dean said smugly, raising the scythe.

"No, please!" Lilith screamed, but with a sadistic grin, Dean swept the scythe down, and Lilith screamed.

A scream that was cut short as the blade cut through her neck and with a scream that died in her throat, Dean ripped her head from her body.

Demon blood geysered out of the stump of her neck, and Sam and Dean looked down at the demon in disgust. At last, she was dead. The queen of hell, the one who had originally taken Dean from Sam, the one who had made Dean kill Sam, not once but twice, one of the largest blights on the face of the planet, the alpha demon, the last seal, Lilith was at last dead.

"Aimo..." Sam said, and they both looked to where the kid had fallen, but there was no sign of him.

"Huh?" Dean said in confusion, before the two of them were blown, skidding along the floor.

"You arrogant, insolent, disrespectful, meddling perverted little fools!" Raphael stormed, the entire building shaking as he released his anger.

Sam and Dean winced as the archangel advanced, electricity crackling around him, rubble falling from the ceiling, burying the others in debris as it rained stones down on them. The two of them got to their feet, glowering at him.

"Aww, did we ruin your Apocalypse again? Sorry." Dean said in a baby voice, and Raphael was quivering in anger.

"You undid everything, reverted the seals back to the beginning, and now, you have killed Lilith. You have ruined everything! I am going to kill you, then I will hunt down everyone you know, everyone you have ever met, even people you smiled at and obliterate them all!" Raphael stormed, thunder rumbling outside and rain pouring through the holes as his wings crackled, the furious archangel advancing as debris continued to rain down on them all.

Sam looked at Dean, and he realised what was happening. This was when Dean died. This was what Missouri had seen in her vision. Thunder roared and lightning flashed, rain was flooding the ruins, debris kept falling and Dean was readying his blade to run at Raphael. He couldn't lose Dean.

"Die!" Raphael yelled, blasting Dean backwards, and Sam ran.

Raphael looked at Sam in contempt as he approached, preparing the archangel blade. Raphael smirked as Sam got closer, and raised a hand. And Sam lunged for the archangel, just as a bolt of lightning flashed down through one of the holes in the ceiling.

The bolt hit Sam head on, rippling through him. Sam gave a shuddering grunt and was thrown limply over the room, landing on his side, unmoving, his head resting on his outstretched left arm, hair falling about his face, steam rising from his sizzling body.

"SAMMY!" Dean screamed hysterically, seeing what had befallen his brother, and he scrambled to Sam's side.

Raphael was laughing in delight.

"And so ends the infamous Sam Winchester. His life wasted in a futile effort to kill the last archangel." He purred and Dean, tears in his eyes, looked to Raphael and smiled smugly.

"Really? Look down." He advised savagely.

Raphael did so, and was taken aback by what he saw. Consumed with exhilaration, adrenaline and euphoria, he hadn't noticed that the blade had flown out of Sam's hand when he had been struck. And now the blade was plunged deep in his chest.

"Impossible." Raphael muttered in dismayed, disbelieving shock.

It couldn't be, he couldn't be dying, he couldn't have lost.

And then he gave a scream, his body convulsing, his wings crackling, and white light blasted from his eyes and mouth, and with a final ear destroying scream, Raphael, the last archangel, toppled to the ground, eyes and mouth smoking, wings embossed upon the dirty floor, the would be architect of the Apocalypse dead by the hand of the one who was meant to bring it about.

"Sammy..." Dean pleaded weakly, crouching down beside Sam's fallen form.

It couldn't be. Not now. It shouldn't be, he was the one who was meant to die, not Sam. Missouri had seen Raphael kill him, not Sam.

"Sammy, come on kiddo, wake up." Dean begged, lifting his brother gingerly into his arms, stroking Sam's long hair behind his ear.

He hated the way his hair felt, all too warm, and sort of sticky as if it had been straightened. Dean shook his head, denying what he saw, denying the stench of cooked meat that was filling his nostrils, denying the wisps of steam that were coming off his brother's dead body.

"Sam, wake up. You're only allowed to get hit by lightning once, this is twice, this isn't funny, wake up, please!" Dean begged, stroking Sam's cheek, which also felt far too hot.

But Sam didn't make any move at all. He was gone. Raphael had had the last laugh.

"Sam...Sammy." Dean whispered, tears in his eyes, and he held Sam to him tightly, nursing his brother's body, not even noticing as Bobby flickered back into existence.

"Oh no..." Bobby moaned as he saw what had happened.

Dean sniffed, tears falling onto his brother's face as he clutched his brother to him, as though that would revive him. But he wouldn't be revived. Not this time. Aimo was gone, Raphael was gone, and now that he had his throne back, Crowley wouldn't either. He had lost Sam. He was gone, forever, dead once more. And this time he wouldn't be coming back.

"Sammy!" Dean screamed, shaking his head as his brother's head fell back limply, hanging lifelessly, baring his neck to his brother as his head draped over his arm.

"Dean..." Bobby whispered, and Dean shook his head adamantly.

"It was meant to be me! I was the one who was meant to die, not him! I was meant to die! So how come I'm still here, and he isn't?" Dean yelled angrily, and Bobby sighed, tears in his own eyes, despair filling him.

"He changed the circumstances son." He said, his voice quiet.

Dean shook his head, lip trembling as he buried his face in his brother's cooling hair.

"Come on Sammy, come back..." he begged, not hearing the scuffling sounds coming from further down the building.

"He's gone Dean. We need to get out of here, get the others." Bobby said hesitantly, but Dean shook his head.

"No. Not anymore. I'm finished. I'm done. I just saved this crappy little world all over again, and as some sick joke, they take my baby brother away from me again. I'm not doing it. I can't do it anymore. He was the one that kept me going. And after all this crap that we've dealt with the last couple of weeks, I finally started being his big brother again...and now he's gone. They couldn't even leave me with my baby brother, they took away everything else and now they've taken him away too. So, fuck it. Fuck them all. I'm not doing it anymore. I can't, it's too hard, and without Sam, I'm not even going to try." Dean spat angrily, and Bobby flinched, knowing this was grief, hopelessness, despair and fear talking, but still, it worried him.

"Dean..." Bobby said, and Dean looked down at his baby brother, stroking his hair gently.

"I'm sorry Sammy. Guess I really do suck at protecting you. And I'm so sorry. I'm your big brother, and I let you down again. Don't go because of me Sam. This...I can't do this crap alone. Remember last time huh? I condemned the world to the Apocalypse, all because I couldn't live without you. And I'll do it all over again Sammy. I can't live without you. Come on kiddo. Wake up. Come back...please." Dean cried, his voice shaking as he pleaded with his brother's dead form, tears falling from his eyes, sniffing as he did so.

"Dean this isn't your fault." Bobby implored, but Dean ignored him.

"Sammy? Huh, ironic. I remember when you were a kid, there was a thunderstorm, and you were so scared...you were scared the lightning was going to get you. So you ran through to me and climbed up into bed beside me and cuddled up to me, asking if I would protect you from the scary lightning. And now look. Come on Sammy, you aren't a kid anymore. Wake up for me. Just this once. Please little guy. Come on little brother. Wake up." Dean implored, ignoring the panting sounds from the other end, assuming one of the others had woken up.

Sam remained silent, immobile, and Dean shook his head and clasped his baby brother, whose body was beginning to cool back to normal temperatures, to him tightly. Dean buried his face in Sam's hair as he hugged Sam to him, his body shaking with sobs as he held his dead brother.

"Little baby brother, please...please don't make me do this alone. Come back." Dean whispered into Sam's unknowing ear, his heart breaking as Sam's head flopped limply over his arm when he pulled him away to check, and Dean sniffed as it became all too obvious.

Sam wasn't coming back.

"SAMMY!" Dean wailed, and there was then a bang.

Bobby looked around to see Charlie, clutching his bleeding side with one hand, and holding a smoking gun in the other, grinning in delight. Wondering what the hell the maniac was grinning at, he turned to Dean to warn him, and was stopped short.

Sam was lying peacefully on the floor, his right hand laid gently on his stomach, faint wisps of steam still rising from him. His hair had fallen about his face, making it hard to discern his pale face, his closed eyes and slightly opened mouth. And his left hand was wrapped in the hand of his big brother.

Dean was lying beside Sam, his legs still bent as if he were kneeling as he had been a second ago. His left hand was clasped around Sam's. His right hand was gently touching Sam's hair. His head was resting on Sam's shoulder, his eyes closed, tear stains down his cheeks, his mouth slightly open.

And a river of blood was running down from his temple, down the side of his face. A sticky grey substance lined the wall of the bullet wound, and inside his brain there was a tiny glint of metal, Charlie's bullet, lodged in the brain of his brother's killer.

Charlie gave a last grin and hobbled off and Bobby looked on, unable to do anything. He turned back to the fallen brothers, the two Winchesters, and looked at their dead bodies.

Bobby shuddered as he felt tears stream down his face as he looked at his fallen kids, his dead sons and he let the tears come as he looked on at the awful scene, as the horrible truth set in.

Sam and Dean were dead. And this time they wouldn't be coming back.

**The end!**

**No, not really, we still have one chapter left to go, but things are dire arent they? So many friends dead, and now even the boys have joined them. In regards to the poll, Dean's most popular death was being savaged by hellhounds, hence why Valente killed him, and Sam's was being stabbed in the back, hence why Dean killed him. My favourite Sam death was him being struck by lightning, hence why that was his final death. Dean's first death didnt go by the poll, sorry about that, but his second one, being shot in Dark Side of the Moon, this was sort of like that. Sam's death in the same episode was also quite popular. And it is Sammy, and I figured I couldnt end the series without him being strangled one more time, and this time was also to death, due to the machinations of the evil Lilith. I wrote this and I can't figure out who the biggest bad guy actually is. Ah well.**

**So, the fight is over! The Apocalypse is averted, Raphael, Valente, Lilith, Gordon and all the other bad guys dead...bar Charlie, who has won the greatest victory of the lot by killing poor Dean. Apologies to those who's characters didnt make it if you voted for them, but this chapter was always going to be a bit of a bloodbath.**

**Apologies for the lateness of the chapter, I know I said it would be uploaded Thursday, but I took a lot longer than I intended (my doctors appointment was half an hour late and it all went pear shaped from there) and then yesterday I had friends round for tea so I didnt get much done yesterday, but at least its now up for you to enjoy!**

**And now we are on the eve of the final chapter, so sad! One chapter left to go, and all the loose threads to tidy up and finisdh off before the end of the story. I hope you still enjoy this story, as I do writing it, and I hope you enjoy the battle (though I couldnt quite get the opening and closing of the cage the way I wanted it).**

**Anyway, one chapter from the end! Hope this isnt a let down for anyone, apologies for the size of the chapter, I didnt feel like splitting the chapter up, and I hope to hear from you all soon.**

**So, as always, please enjoy, read and review review review! And I hope to see you all in the final chapter!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural**

Bleeding Storm

Bobby looked at the bodies of his two boys, lying on the ground, ignoring the sounds as someone tried to move behind him. Sam and Dean, both dead, and this time with no way to come back. This time they really were gone. His reason for sticking around, the reason he had stayed behind, the ones he had avoided heaven for, were now gone. They had left the world, and where did that leave him?

"Sam? Dean?" Jody asked as she came to, looking down the ruined building and seeing the two of them lying on the floor, unmoving.

"They're..." Bobby said softly, but found himself unable to continue, ignoring her as she dragged herself down to their side, shaking her head as she did so.

"No, they can't be, there's no way they can be gone." She said stubbornly, dragging herself desperately to the boys sides.

Behind them, Missouri got to her feet, gasping in pain at the pain in her leg, and slowly started making her way towards the fallen boys.

"That isn't right, Dean was supposed to die, but now both of them, no, we could have, could have stopped it." She protested getting closer to the boys and sinking to her knees beside them.

Jody reached their side and saw the bullet wound to Dean's head, shaking her head grimly, knowing there was nothing they could do. He was gone. And when she saw Sam's unmoving body, protectively and lovingly held by Dean before he was killed, she shook her head, realising that they had lost him too.

"Sam was struck by lightning fired by Raphael. Dean was, he was holding him, and Charlie recovered and shot him in the head." Bobby said darkly, wishing he could have done something, done anything that would mean the boys would still be alive, but as it was, he couldn't.

He had failed, and they were both gone.

"No, they've come back before, it's bad enough all the others are dead, but the boys can't be dead too, not now, not after everything." Missouri said stubbornly, and Jody picked up the scythe that Dean had dropped when he had rushed to his brother's side.

Bobby looked around the room. The pile of rubble that Garth was under was moving slightly, a sign that he at least was still alive. Marion was still breathing, though his breaths were hitched, though he did appear to be waking. Meg was also trapped in a pile of rubble and was beginning to stir. Bobby closed his eyes in defeat. They may have stopped the Apocalypse, but it cost them good people to do so. Reynolds, Cox, Tamara and Aimo were all dead, and that was along with the boys also being dead. Bobby closed his eyes. All because of Cas letting people loose, all because angels didn't like humans, all because demons were power-hungry, the endless waste only led to this.

Missouri swung the scythe, looking at all the others as Jody pulled herself up to sit on a pile of rubble.

"We need to get out of here." She said, but Missouri shook her head.

"No, we've got something to do first. Crowley!" she yelled, and Bobby and Jody looked at her in surprise, and Marion looked at her in surprise as his eyes opened.

"Missouri, he can't hear you, it's over the boys are gone..." Jody said, shaking her head, tears flooding her eyes.

"No, I'm not willing to accept that. And besides, this was about making sure Lilith was dead, trust me, he's floating around." She said darkly and as if by magic, Crowley suddenly appeared beside them, looking smug.

"You rang?" he asked, his voice bored as he looked around at the carnage, smiling widely as he beheld certain bodies.

"Bring them back." Missouri demanded angrily, glaring at the reinstated king of hell.

Crowley looked at the fallen bodies of Sam and Dean, smiling slightly as he did so.

"Bring them back? And why on earth would I want to do that?" he asked, and Jody glowered at him, her face colouring with anger.

"You bring them back you son of a bitch because if it weren't for them, you would still be on the run. They saved you. And you know it. They got you back your throne and they saved your ass from Lilith and Raphael. Now bring them back." She intoned, and Crowley gave her a small smile.

"Do you have any idea how good a day for me this is?" he asked, and Marion, face pale with pain, gave him a hard stare.

"I don't care how good a day it is. Missouri has the scythe. So either you bring the others back, all of them, or we start chopping." He said warningly, and Crowley looked apprehensively at the scythe in Missouri's hand, not wishing to go the same way as Lilith.

"The others, your doctor friend, your FBI agent and the other hunter I can bring back. The boys, they're non-negotiable." He said, and Bobby looked around, puzzled.

"Wait a minute, where is Aimo?" he asked, and Crowley shrugged.

"Not a clue. So, if you want the other three back and are willing to deal, we have things to discuss. If not, I'm a busy demon. Lilith wrecked the joint down there, and I'm still redecorating." He said dismissively, and Missouri hobbled towards him, readying the scythe.

"Bring them back. Now." She ordered, ready to kill the king of hell.

And he suddenly vanished before she could swing, and before she could even turn to look for her, he had appeared behind her, taking a hold of the scythe and wrenching it from her grip, kicking her wounded leg as he did so. Missouri gave a cry of pain as she stumbled to the ground, and he looked triumphantly down at her.

"Now, because I'm in a good mood, and because you're distraught, I'll ignore the fact that you threatened to kill me. Like I said, you have no idea how good a day for me this has been. Raphael is dead, and his Apocalypse is averted. Lilith is also dead, the throne is mine again and everyone who supported her are being placed on the rack as we speak. The vampires, troublesome little gnats that they are, are now all dead. And some irritating hunters are also now dead. To top it off," he said, picking up the chain and tying it round the scythe, "I now have weapons to combat both angels and Leviathans with, and what is more, the cherry on the top of the sundae, the Winchesters are also dead, and with the end of those denim clad nightmares comes by ultimate victory." He said, admiring his reflection in the bloodied scythe.

Bobby glowered at him.

"You owe those boys Crowley, you fix them, you fix them all!" he yelled and Crowley looked at him disdainfully.

"Yell all you want Casper, it's done. Any of these three remaining alive souls want to do a deal to bring back the others, then we talk. If not, I've got hell to paint. I was thinking a nice beige, beige is always good for driving people stir crazy." He said musingly, and Marion shook his head.

"You're a bastard Crowley."

"Thank you. But even though flattery usually will get you everywhere, with your leg, not so much. Too good an opportunity you see, for one of my underlings to make a decent deal. But, I won't have it said that I'm not a gentleman. I'll put the fear of, well not god obviously, but fear of something into the doctors at the local hospital and I can almost guarantee a new leg by the end of the week, how's that sound?" Crowley asked, and Marion nodded, teeth gritted in pain as he did so.

"So you won't bring any of them back?" Jody demanded, and he looked at them.

"Give me ten years, I'll give you your doctor back, from either of you. The other hunter, I'll want five years, hunters are a nuisance, mess everything up, as Raphael here," Crowley said, kicking the dead angel's head in delight, "can attest. Fifteen years and you can get the FBI agent back. What do you say?" he asked, and Bobby looked at him in disgust.

"You really can't sink any lower can you? They aren't going to make the deal, and if you aren't going to bring anyone back, you might as well clear off, we've got nothing more to say to you. So go on, clear off." Bobby said grouchily, and Crowley smiled.

"Pleasure doing business with all of you." He said, and was about to leave when suddenly Death appeared beside him, and Crowley leapt about a foot in the air at his unexpected appearance.

Death looked around the room, clicking his tongue in disappointment. He then turned to Crowley and fixed with him with a bored look.

"Now, I'm assuming you were just on your way to hand that back to me?" he asked, and Crowley looked at him in shock, his breath faltering as he took a hesitant step back away from the entity, a trace of sweat appearing on his forehead as he looked uncertainly back at the others, then back to Death.

"Um, yes of course your worship, here you go, I was going to clean it up and have it sent on, but seeing as you're here now, you may as well just take it!" Crowley said brightly, hurriedly passing the scythe to Death, who nodded slightly at Crowley and dropped the scythe into his bag.

"No offence but the last time I leant the scythe to a demon, I didn't get it back for the better part of a year and I do tend to miss it when it isn't around. Bobby, I see you're dead again. For the record, the control Lilith put upon you would have been broken through a ritual, a sort of cleansing. Just so as you know." He said, and then surveyed the scene, looking musingly at the dead enemies and friends.

"Death, your honour, can you-?" Jody began but he ignored her, pacing over towards Raphael, frowning at the dead body.

"You know, the angels never really grasped why God preferred humans. For a start, humans follow the natural order of life. They don't. Humans, while arrogant, don't as a species think they are the best at everything and their every whim should be obeyed without question. They also, despite the capability, haven't decided to obliterate everything they were entrusted to protect. And also, they don't faithfully listen to their father even when it is painfully obvious that he couldn't give a flying crap about them. Angels as a species are arrogant, power mad, indulgent, spoilt little fools who would all like to follow Lucifer's example and throw a temper tantrum to get their daddy's attention, but because they are all weak, pathetic and cowardly, they go the way of ones like Raphael and make themselves believe better things are around the corner. I truly do disdain angels. I can tolerate demons, I can accept humans, I can cope with the existence of creatures likes witches, werewolves and vampires, and I can even tolerate the existence of ghosts and zombies despite their obvious disdain for my profession, but I cannot abide angels." He said sniffily.

"Speaking of angels, do you know what happened to Aimo?" Missouri asked softly, and Death shrugged.

"I do not know what happened to Aimo. He is for all intents and purposes dead I suspect. But then again, it wouldn't be the first time I've been wrong about angels being dead." He commented idly, and Crowley looked at him curiously.

"What does that mean?" he asked, but Bobby powered through, forcing Crowley to drop it.

"You don't even know if the kid is alive or dead?" he asked, and Death looked at him, irked.

"What, do you think that just because I'm Death I automatically know who dies, where they die and how they do it? I'm good but not that good. I can sense deaths as they happen, but my attention at the time was on other things when Aimo disappeared. So, take what you will. He may be dead, he may not be, but as he has totally vanished, I suspect that he used up all of his power and faded away. Pity, considering how Sam and Dean need them now." He said mildly, walking over towards the two boys.

"Crowley won't bring them back." Bobby said darkly, and Death nodded.

"Indeed. Explain why Crowley." Death ordered, and Crowley smiled.

"Firstly, because them being dead suits me better than them being alive. Secondly, they've to put it mildly, gone on." He said, and the full implications of what he was saying hit Bobby.

"Wait, what? They went on? They let Tessa reap them?" Bobby asked in shock, and Death nodded.

"That is correct. It is for that reason that she is currently now screaming for joy and cart wheeling through the realm between life and death. Very improper for a reaper, but I can understand her enthusiasm. The amount of times these boys have died compared to the amount of times she's actually reaped them, three times each, she is the butt of all the jokes at the Christmas and Halloween parties. Now she's gotten rid of her most frequent customers, I suppose she is allowed to celebrate." Death supposed.

Bobby shook his head, unwilling to believe it. The boys had gone on. They hadn't stayed. They had let Tessa go on, and now they were in heaven where they belonged. Bobby shook his head. They deserved it after all, after everything they'd done, they were allowed to go on to heaven, but, both boys suddenly deciding to go on, something about that just didn't seem right. At least now they got to reunite with their old friends, like John, Mary, Ellen, Jo, Rufus, Ash, Sam could see Jess though after last time he wasn't entirely sure he would still be keen on her, because some of her issues were definitely left over from being a human. Bobby sniffed. He supposed it was time they moved on, but the fact that he was now here, all alone, with no one to even be here for, was slightly sobering.

"But...but both boys, they never gave up, why would they give up now?" Marion asked through the pain, and Death looked sympathetically at his leg.

"Because Charlie did something only two other people have ever been able to do." He explained, and suddenly it clicked why they had done what they had done.

"Huh?" Jody asked, and Bobby whispered the answer.

"He killed Dean after Sam was already dead. He let them be together, only it was on the wrong side of life. They basically died together, and so, because I'm dead, they didn't really have much to stick around for anymore, no matter how fond they are of you guys. Without each other's main reason to keep on living, they just...went on." He explained sadly, and the others all looked at him in surprise.

"They're gone?" Missouri asked softly, and he nodded.

Crowley gave them a superior smirk as he beheld the two brother's bodies.

"Like I said, can't and won't. They're dead, and there's nothing anyone can do to stop it." He gloated, swirling the chain through the air cheerfully.

Death outstretched a hand and the four rings appeared in it, which he then slipped into his pocket.

"They've really gone on? All of them?" Jody asked, and Death nodded.

"It was their time. Cox, Tamara and Reynolds had all reached the end of their natural life and as such moved on." Death said, and then Bobby looked at him, his face not quite trusting, either that or not believing enough to trust.

"Wait, you only mentioned the others, you didn't mention Aimo or the boys." He said, and Death shrugged.

"I'm as old as God remember Bobby, sometimes I forget things." He said elusively, but Marion shook his head.

"No, that wasn't it, you didn't mention them for a reason." He challenged, and Death sighed.

"Damn the ears of the young. Perhaps I did, what of it?" he asked, as if unconcerned, which was a sharp contrast to Crowley who was suddenly looking at Death in alarm.

"Hang on, wait. Sam and Dean are dead. Sam's body has been fried, his organs have shut down, his brain and heart have ceased to be, and much of his body has been evaporated off. Dean has a bullet wedged into his brain, some more of his brain is decorating the side of his skull and there's a massive hole in his head, and if I was feeling melodramatic, I would also say he has a broken heart. The Winchesters are dead." He intoned, emphasising the last word.

Death nodded.

"Indeed they are." He said, and turned as if to leave.

"But?" Bobby asked hopefully, and Crowley shook his head.

"No, no buts, they aren't allowed buts. They are dead, and you, you aren't allowed to interfere remember?" Crowley asked, pointing at Death who raised an eyebrow as though bored with his interruption.

"Are you actually telling me what to do when I could kill you before you even thought about thinking about defending yourself?" Death asked mildly, and Crowley seemed to deflate.

"Um, no of course not your honour, I was just pointing out that others might have a problem with you getting more gung ho in the activities of the all and sundry, but not me, I'm all for it." He assured him, and amusing though it was to watch Crowley crap himself, Bobby was more interested in what Death was saying.

"For the record, you are correct Crowley. I am not meant to interfere. However, as you may have noticed there is only one in the universe who may order me around, and as he has disappeared and no one knows where he is, and as he clearly doesn't care about this tiny little world anymore, he really can't stop me. However, I have no wish to interfere with the natural order of things, rest assured." Death said softly, and Crowley breathed a sigh of relief.

"Good. Well that's all settled then. Sorry folks, the show's over, the Winchesters are dead and I can't or won't bring them back. So, toodles!" Crowley said, about to vanish when Death raised a hand.

"I said I had no wish to interfere with the natural order of things. However, I find myself, in a bit of a bind. You see, the Leviathans were never meant to be set loose. They were meant to remain incarcerated in Purgatory for all eternity. And then that bumbling, arrogant, power hungry little fool Castiel, who betrayed those nearest and dearest to him and then slaughter thousands of angels to boot, comes along and sets the things lose. Now, while I consider them slightly amusing, they are not part of the natural order of the universe, nor were Castiel's actions. I did tell God not to give people like you lot free will but he didn't listen and now look at the mess we're in. But, it seems to me that the Leviathans are trying to subvert the entire natural order. So, as that is the case and it is technically my job to ensure it remains unbroken, I have myself a problem. And on top of that, if the Leviathans succeed, not only will they mess up the established order, but they will give me a hell of a lot more people to deal with than I want, which is simply unacceptable." He said, frowning as he did so, and Bobby and the others were waiting with baited breath while Crowley looked at Death in disbelief.

"Meaning what exactly?" Marion asked hesitantly.

"Meaning that while it's very sad that they're dead, everyone has to move on and worry about the Leviathans." Crowley answered quickly, but Death shook his head.

"I'm afraid not Crowley. These boys are linked to the Leviathans. It was that arrogant little soldier friend of theirs, Castiel, who set them loose. As such, due to him being unable to clean up his own mess, it has fallen on them to deal with the Leviathans and put them back in the box. And believe me, events are beginning to accelerate towards an ending with Leviathans. Things are on the move. And while I couldn't really care less what happens to this world, I do not want those poisonous little creatures taking over the world and upsetting the natural balance. So, it seems to me like I have but one choice. Castiel brought the Leviathans into this world and he can't put them back. And the boys here are already determined to stop the Leviathans, Roman in particular, because of what he did to Bobby. They are also the ones who know the most about them and will hence be able to fight them. As such, as it is my duty to ensure everything keeps running smoothly, and they are the best chance of ensuring that it continues to do so, the natural order of things must keep ticking over and as such, the only ones who may be able to ensure that it does continue to work the way it is supposed to are the Winchesters."

Crowley shook his head urgently, his face a mix between fury and horror.

"No, you can't!" he protested and Death sent him a steely glare.

"Are you trying to tell me what to do again?" he asked irritably, and Crowley shook his head.

"No, but, isn't this against the natural order too? Can't someone else kill Roman?" he begged, and Death rolled his eyes, bored.

"I have made my decision Crowley. Now, as thanks for what was I'm sure an attempt to return my scythe immediately to me, I suggest you leave now." He said, and Crowley gave Death a look of irritation before coiling up the chain.

"Fine." He said, and after sending the dead boys a last exasperated look, he was gone.

"So you're really going to bring the boys back?" Bobby asked, and Death nodded.

"Yes Bobby I am. It is not something I do lightly, but circumstances have forced me into this situation. The Leviathans are dangerous to all life on this planet, and the Winchesters are now all that stands between this world and extinction. And while it is irritating to have to intervene, as I usually do not do such things, circumstances have forced me into this predicament. It is my job to facilitate the transition of the natural order, and that cannot happen if the Leviathans take over. Their time has passed, passed many long millennia ago. But make no mistake, if the situations were reversed I would be helping the Leviathans to stop the humans. And if the Winchesters should fail, then the natural order will change, and the Leviathans will reign supreme. However, I am giving humanity a chance, that some would say it doesn't deserve. Do not mistake this for sentiment." He warned, and they all nodded.

"Will you tell the boys that they are the last hope for mankind?" Jody asked, and Death shook his head.

"No. They've had enough pressure put on their shoulders, and they're going to try to stop the Leviathans anyway, so there is no point. I will resurrect them. Tessa will be most displeased but she'll get over it." Death said, but Missouri raised a hand.

"Yes?" Death asked politely, and she looked at the boys hesitantly.

"Well, if they've already moved on, then...won't they remember heaven? Won't they go all Buffy and hate the fact that they were ripped out of it?" she asked, and Death frowned thoughtfully.

"I hadn't considered that. Very well. I will resurrect them, and they will have no memories of heaven. They will remember dying, and Tessa trying to reap them as always, but the next thing they will know is waking up. They will remember nothing of their time in heaven, though their conversations while they were between worlds will be remembered. And it would be best if they weren't told that I would like them to fight the Leviathans." He advised, and Bobby looked at him.

"Do we need to keep it quiet that you resurrected them?" Bobby asked, but Death ignored him and splayed his hand towards Sam and Dean.

Dean sat up instantly, hand flying to the side of his head, watching as the bullet dropped out of it, and shivering. After checking he was alright, before he even considered turning to the others, he looked immediately at Sam, who sat up with a gasp and looked uncertainly at his brother.

"Sammy!" Dean cried in relief and pressed Sam to him in a hug, holding him close, rocking him slightly in relief, smiling as he did so.

"Dean..." Sam whispered, and then saw the bullet that had killed his brother.

Shivering slightly, Sam reached out and picked it up, holding it tight in his hand before returning Dean's vehement hug.

"You're welcome." Death said with a brisk nod.

"Death, why...?" Dean asked, and Death looked at the bag in his hand.

"I did this to thank you for taking good care of my scythe, the last time I lent it, Alastair started killing my reapers, which is understandably bad for business. So, thank you. However, I must warn you that I will not interfere like this again, Crowley is right about one thing. I have gotten far too involved with the workings of the world of late, my place is in the background. So, as of now you are officially on your own, and we will be seeing slightly less of each other I suspect. It is not my place to interfere, I am willing to do it just this once as it is not good for any of us if the Leviathans win. So, do not take this the wrong way but I hope it is a long time before we see each other again. Good luck." Death said, and both brothers looked at him.

"Thank you for bringing us back." Sam said with a slight smile.

"And thanks for the scythe." Dean said, and he nodded.

"You are quite welcome. Until next time." Death said, and left just as Sam wrapped Dean in a fierce hug once more.

XX

"You resurrected them? I had finally reaped them and you resurrected them?" Tessa demanded angrily, and Death nodded.

"Yes Tessa that is indeed the case. They have a chance of stopping the Leviathans, and as the Leviathans are perverting the natural order it is technically my duty to protect it." He told her, but she glowered at him.

"This isn't anything to do with the natural order, you did it because a part of you is fond of them." She challenged, and he arched an eyebrow at her.

"You are fond of them too." He reminded her, and she scowled.

"Considerably less now that they aren't dead like they're meant to be. I had finally reaped them, I was off probation, and people were treating me with respect again. It's very embarrassing being the Winchesters reaper considering the amount of times that they've died and they won't stay dead!" she wailed, and Death had to hide a smile.

"Never mind Tessa. After all, they are trying to stop the Leviathans, there is no guarantee that they will survive that for long. And you are no longer on probation, after all you did reap them it was just your misfortune that I had to bring them back." He said and she nodded stiffly before disappearing.

Death pondered her words after she vanished. A small part of him had become quite fond of the Winchesters in the last few years, he admitted that. And he also didn't want the Leviathans to take over. While he did find them amusing, the last thing he needed was another arrogant creature running around with grandiose plans for conquest, he had enough of that with angels. And besides, they were perverting the natural order, and if they succeeded in wiping out humanity as they planned then there would be no need for reapers, which meant he had really done nothing wrong.

However, he did have a reputation to uphold, and he was out, as he had told them. He belonged in the background, not getting constantly involved because of the actions of arrogant little angelic tyrants or monsters from the abyss. This was the last time he would interfere for a good while.

But, he would keep a casual eye on the Winchesters regardless.

XX

After the boys had assured themselves that the others were alright, it was time to deal with the dead. Meg, bruised and bloody, helped them pile the demon bodies in a heap, while Jody and Missouri excavated a moaning and beat up Garth from the pile of rocks he was in. Marion was laid against the wall, still struggling through the pain. The angel bodies were then thrown on the same pile as the demons, and the other bodies soon joined them, and with liberal amounts of petrol, they were ready to be burnt and sent on. And that only left their own dead to deal with.

Sadly, the boys built a funeral pyre for Tamara, Cox and Reynolds. As they did so, Sam looked at Dean curiously.

"What do you think happened to Aimo?" he asked, and Dean looked at the pyre where they had placed the others.

"I don't know Sammy. We saw Raphael stab him, and he said he was going to give us the last of his strength. He saved our lives by doing that, saved everyone's lives, stopped Raphael and Lilith. I wish I knew though Sammy. He was a good kid." Dean said, and Sam looked at him hopefully.

"Cas escaped every time he was meant to have died, he always came back. Aimo could have too." He said, and Dean smiled at the hopeful tone his brother's voice took.

Only Sam could still be hopeful after everything they had been through. Shame he didn't share his brother's optimism. Aimo's body had vanished, and while Sam was hoping that meant he had somehow escaped, Dean wasn't so sure. After all, his body had vanished, and Dean had a horrible suspicion that that meant that Aimo hadn't had enough energy anymore to keep himself together and as a result he had just faded away, he had just dropped out of existence. And that hurt like a kick in the gut. Losing the people they had hurt enough. Losing the youngest member, a kid and by all rights the only decent angel they knew hurt even worse. And Sam was hoping that the kid had survived somehow, had somehow escaped to die another day.

Dean pondered what he should do. Sam wanted to believe Aimo was alive, and that would make the blow less hard to cope with. But, just like Sam had when Dean had been hoping that Bobby had stuck around, he didn't want to give his baby brother false hope, because that would only make it hurt more in the end.

But, considering they had lost other friends, and Sam was still regretting the death of Diamond, and also his encounter with Jess, and losing Dean on top of all that, he decided to go with the less painful route.

"Yeah maybe." He said softly, fearing that would bite him in the ass eventually, and he stepped back, lighting the pyre, and consigning the bodies of their friends to the flames.

They all stood in stony silence watching as their friends, who had gotten mixed up with them, and had helped them prevent the Apocalypse, were sent on, their lives lost all because of the hubris of one damn angel who had set this entire lot loose. Yes, Dean and Cas were going to have serious words the next time he saw the angel, insane or not.

Sam looked at Dean hesitantly and Dean wrapped an arm around his shoulder, pulling him close as they watched the flames burn their enemies and their friends alike, tears in their eyes as they did so. Bobby was looking at the scene grimly, while Meg looked on stonily. Garth's eyes were downcast, and tears were spilling down Missouri and Jody's cheeks, while Mario, holding his stump of a leg, shook his head sadly as their friends disappeared.

"Thanks guys." Dean said, and Sam looked at the scene sadly.

"I'm fed up of seeing these Dean." He whispered softly, and Dean rubbed his shoulder gently.

"Yeah, me too Sammy. Me too." Dean said in response, tears filling his own eyes as he watched as their friends vanished forever.

XX

They loaded themselves into the coach, for what would be their last trip together. A while later, they arrived at the hospital, and while Dean helped the others get checked in, Sam for some reason remained in the coach, and Dean was too busy to worry about that at that time.

True to his word, Crowley had indeed sped up the process, and the doctors there told a fairly upbeat Marion that he could get fitted for a new leg first thing the next morning. Missouri's wound needed stitches, but the doctors said she would be able to go home after a stay overnight. Meg, due to being a demon, was soon on the road to recovery, her various bumps and bruises already beginning to heal. Which was more than could be said for Garth, who now had a broken rib, a broken arm and a broken leg, and he was considerably less than happy with that turn of events. Jody was also annoyed that she would have to spend a couple of days in the hospital while they checked to see nothing vital had been damaged by the bullet. After they were all settled in and sorted, Dean decided it might be a good idea to go and find his brother.

As he made his way away from the room where all the others were (they had asked to all be put in the same room) and leaving Meg to watch them in case Charlie went looking for the others, Dean headed through the hospital, his mind on recent events. The Apocalypse was averted, Valente and his friends were dead, Crowley was back on the throne and the biggest threats in the cosmos were once again in Purgatory where they belonged. But that didn't mean it didn't hurt. Tamara, Marge, Diamond, Billy, Cox and Reynolds were all dead, and he suspected Aimo was dead too. Marion had lost his leg, and the others would be recovering for a while from their injuries. And what was more, both brothers had died several times in the past few weeks. Sam had died four times, twice by the hand of his own big brother however accidental it might have been. And Dean had died three times himself, and he knew that Sam had issues with that too, which could only mean more trouble. He frowned. Was Dean's death while he was crying over his baby brother's dead body the reason that Sam had decided to stay in the coach? He wouldn't put it past Sam to be blaming himself for his big brother's death, indeed, he suspected Sam would have said as much had they talked more before Tessa had appeared to try and reap them again.

Slightly worried by his brother's odd behaviour, he entered the coach to see Sam sitting at the table, a summoning bowl in front of him, looking miserable, his eyes slightly teary.

"Sammy?" Dean asked softly, deciding to sit next to his brother and peering into the bowl as he did so.

The ingredients were used to try to summon angels. Damn it, he knew this would bite him in the ass.

"I...I tried to summon Aimo, and it didn't work. He's gone too Dean." Sam whispered sadly, hints of tears in his eyes, and Dean sighed sadly.

"I thought he might be. He's gone Sammy." He said gently, and Sam sniffed.

"I just hoped that someone else had survived, that we hadn't lost yet another friend. I mean, I know the others survived, but let's face it, we lost just as many, all because of Cas and Raphael and Lilith. I'm fed up of watching our friends die Dean, and I just hoped that Aimo might still be alive, make this slightly better. We won and everything, but it still cost us good friends to do it, and I just hoped that we would be able to cheat death, we did it before." He said sadly, and Dean looked at his brother understandingly.

"We did though, Death brought us back. That's literally cheating Death." He said softly, and Sam shrugged.

"I know I just sort of hoped that we might be able to get one more friend to survive, I'm fed up of losing people we care about." He said miserably, and Dean nodded.

"I am too Sammy. I am too." He said quietly, as Sam threw everything into the bowl.

"So you tried summoning him and it didn't work?" Dean asked, and Sam shook his head.

"No. I even prayed for him to come, first time I've sincerely prayed in years," he said, and Dean cut him off, looking at his baby brother curiously.

"Do you still do it? You know, pray?" he asked, as he had been surprised to learn years before that his brother prayed.

Sam shook his head.

"No. After finding out what assholes angels were and that they were trying to kill us all and that God didn't give two hoots about us, I stopped. I only do it now when we needed Cas or when I was trying to call Aimo." He said, and Dean looked sadly at his brother, he hadn't wanted Sam to give up on praying, on believing in a higher power, in believing that there was a basic force of good in the universe. Now it transpired he had given up on it and become just as cynical as his big brother was, and that saddened Dean greatly.

"Either way, Aimo didn't come. He's gone Dean." He said miserably, and Dean looked at him, eyes crinkled in worry and curiosity.

"What's wrong Sammy? Aside from our friends being dead again?" he asked, and Sam shrugged.

"I don't know, I just think I became a lot fonder of Aimo than I thought I would. And I feel guilty, it's all because of us that the others are dead too, just like..." Sam said, his voice wavering and Dean shook his head, getting it, at least partially.

"Sammy, Jess wasn't your fault, we've been through this. Aimo wasn't your fault, neither was Tamara, Reynolds, Cox, Billy, Marge or Diamond. And Jess wasn't your fault either, Raphael only used her to get to you ok? It had nothing to do with you, and you can say it was because of you all you want, it doesn't make it true. Jess was killed by Brady, pure and simple. Him and Azazel, they killed Jess. It wasn't you." He said earnestly, and Sam looked downcast.

"She wanted me dead Dean. Dad, when we stopped him being a witness, he went back to normal. Jess did too, and she still hated me." Sam whispered, and Dean shook his head.

"That isn't your fault Sammy. People dying aren't your fault. And get your own party piece." Dean said fondly, poking Sam in the shoulder, trying to cheer him up.

"Huh?" Sam asked in confusion and Dean smiled a little.

"Blaming yourself for everything is my thing, not yours. And if you're going to moan at me to stop doing it, damn right am I going to do the same to you." He said, and was vindicated when he saw a reluctant grin appear on Sam's face.

"I'm sorry I'm so down Dean, it's just..." Sam said, and Dean nodded.

"I know." He said, and then his eyes were drawn to a strange, small box that he hadn't seen before.

"Hey, what's that?" he asked, stretching for it but Sam clamped his hand around it before he got there.

"Nothing." Sam said defensively, trying to move it away from Dean, but his attention was immediately attracted by Sam's furtive nature.

"Sam, what's in the box?" he asked, wondering why his brother was acting this way.

Sam looked away from his brother, staring out the window.

"Nothing." He repeated, and Dean was starting to get worried, and a little annoyed.

"Sam, why aren't you telling me what's in the box?" he asked, and Sam continued to stare out of the window.

"You'll only laugh at me if I tell you. Or yell at me." He said, and Dean was even further confused as to why he was acting like this.

"Sam, what's wrong? Why are you so afraid to show me what's in the box?" he asked, and Sam relented, opening the box to reveal a bullet.

"It's a bullet." Dean said, bemused, feeling a little let down by how anticlimactic it seemed.

Sam said nothing, and Dean picked it up looking at it curiously.

"Sam, it's just a bullet. We don't even use this sort of gun, why would you think I would laugh at you or be mad at you because you have it?" he asked, and Sam looked at him fearfully, and suddenly it clicked.

"Oh. Right." Dean said weakly.

Sam looked at the bullet fearfully.

"I don't know why I kept it, it was just lying there, and I kept it. I wanted to remind myself of how close I came to losing you again, how you were nearly gone, and it was my fault." He said morosely, and Dean shook his head.

"It wasn't your fault Sammy. And remember, you're talking to the guy who kept the trenchcoat of an arrogant, backstabbing attempted murderer for months on end, I can hardly judge you." He said, and Sam sent him a slight smile.

"Never usually bothers you." He said and Dean swatted at him.

"You understand why I kept it though?" Sam asked, and Dean nodded.

"Yeah. It reminds you of losing me, and I like to think you wouldn't want that to happen. So you keep it, to remind you to look after me or something? To remind you what happens if we lose?" he asked, and Sam nodded, and Dean smiled a little.

"Keep it then. I get it. And for what it's worth, I don't want to lose you either." He said, and he watched as Sam dropped the bullet into the box with a look of revulsion.

"Thanks." Sam said, and Dean smiled.

"I seem to remember some little smartass telling me that I didn't have to look after him so much anymore." He said, vowing never to let his brother know how much that comment had stung, hearing that his brother didn't need him anymore.

However, he couldn't get much past his little brother, who looked at him in exasperation.

"Dean, just because I don't need you to look after me as much anymore doesn't mean I don't need you dummy. I always need you. I just don't need a babysitter anymore, I need a brother. A big brother, who's privilege it is to mollycoddle me, but not someone who does it all the time because they think I can't look after myself. I always need you. Do you think I would be so devastated every time you died if I didn't need you? I need you, all the time. We're a team and you're my big brother. I just need to be able to do my own things every so often, and if you want to look after me, that's fine. Just don't let that be the only reason you want to keep me around." Sam said softly, and Dean smiled.

Even after all these years, it still felt good to be needed by his baby brother.

"Ok. I get it. You want me to stop mollycoddling you, but still be your cool big brother. You do realise it's hard for me to do that right?" he asked, and Sam smiled.

"Yeah. I know. Just be my brother Dean, not my keeper, that's all I'm asking." He said, and Dean shrugged.

"Ah I'll give it a try." He said, feeling triumphant at the look on Sam's face.

"I didn't mean to upset you when I said that you know." He said sadly, and Dean shrugged.

"You didn't upset me." He said easily, not looking at Sam because he knew he would see a triumphant grin there.

"Liar. Dean...thanks." he said softly, putting the bullet into his duffel while Dean watched intently.

"I'm not going anywhere Sammy. I think over the years we've established pretty well that bad things happen when we go off on our own. I won't leave you." He said, finally understanding what Sam was truly getting at.

He was afraid of the same thing as he was, the thing that drove him. Fear of his brother leaving him behind. It sucked. And while Sam did want him to back off a little bit, and relax, all Sam wanted was for Dean to be there. That was why he was keeping the bullet, to remind him of how much he dreaded losing his brother, of how scared he was of it. Dean smiled to himself. Yeah, he was apparently an awesome big brother, but he had just an awesome little brother.

Seeing Sam look sadly out of the window, he pulled Sam into a hug, holding him tightly against his body.

"Don't go away Dean. I need you." Sam said softly as Dean stroked his hair.

"I need you too Sammy. And don't worry, I'm not going anywhere." He assured him holding his brother tight and he heard his brother sniff, shivering slightly as he remembered his brother's death. Dean rolled his eyes in loving amusement. As usual, he didn't care what had happened to him, he was only concerned that his big brother had died, which Dean knew he would still blame himself for, despite what he said. He shook his head and held his shivering brother close.

"Promise?" Sam asked as the coach darkened around them.

"Promise little brother."

"Thanks. Jerk." Sam said teasingly, and Dean smiled.

"You're welcome Bitch."

XX

"Yay more flowers!" Missouri said happily as Sam handed her a bouquet.

"That's all very well for you and Jody, but why do they keep giving me and Garth flowers?" Marion asked from her bedside as he was passed another bunch of flowers from Dean.

"Because it's a deal, four for twenty dollars, and besides, they were out of grapes and you're out of bed anyway." Sam explained with a grin, sitting down beside Garth and giving him the paper so he could read Marmaduke.

"I am indeed. Hey, Dean, see what I can do." Marion said excitedly, and took off his brand new fake leg, scratching his stump as he did so, and then pulling a bottle of whisky out of the artificial leg.

Dean looked at him enviously.

"I want one of those!" he whined, and Sam grinned.

"It's bad enough that I got you a bazooka, you're not getting a false leg now too. And besides, I would severely damage your libido if you started wearing an artificial leg." He said, accepting a chocolate from the tray Jody passed him.

Dean pouted, and the others all smiled. Marion had easily taken to his new leg, and was ready and willing to get back to work, claiming he had had more than enough contact with the supernatural for a while.

Jody was almost all healed, however they'd had to patch up her leg a few more times due to a slight knick in the artery, but she was getting out soon and was raring to go. Missouri was also nearly fully healed, and would be leaving the next day as well. And Garth, despite his leg and arm not being all better, was also determined to leave.

Meg, who had stuck around for a few days, looked at them all and stood.

"Well, it looks like you don't need me around anymore. I'm off." She said, and they all looked at her in surprise.

"Really?" Dean asked in surprise, he had actually forgotten that she had to get back to her job.

"Yes, really. I suppose someone ought to look after poor catatonic Castiel, just in case Crowley heard he was still going, and now he has his hands on the Reficul chain, he would be even more inclined to go looking for Castiel. So, I suppose I better get back to him." She said, and made her way towards the door.

"You know, you aren't bad for a demon. What time do you finish?" Garth asked hopefully, and she looked at him in surprise while the others all looked at him as if he were crazy.

"No time a little boy like you is up for. See ya." She said, waving to them as she left.

"Bye Meg." Sam called, and received a casual wave in response before she was gone.

"You know, despite being a demon, she has kind of grown on me." Missouri mused, and Sam turned to look at her.

"You sure you want to keep the coach?" he asked, and she nodded.

"Yeah, I'll take it home, maybe do some work on it. I kind of like the thing." She said, and Dean nodded.

"Yeah, it was a pretty cool home I suppose." He admitted, and Jody looked at the two boys.

"So what will happen next?" she asked, and Dean and Sam looked at each other.

"We disappear. We went back to the convent and brought it all tumbling down, the entire things just a pile of rubble, so as far as Mueller knows, we're dead underneath it." Dean explained, and Jody sighed in relief.

"Good. Means we don't need to worry about you boys. So now that you're officially dead again, what next?" she asked, and Dean smiled.

"We go after Roman." He said, and after giving the others an amused smile, she let the matter drop.

XX

"It seems the Winchesters were buried in the rubble sir, it'll take weeks to dig out their bodies." The agent reported, and Mueller frowned.

Reynolds was dead, that much was clear. And it seemed as though the boys had followed him into death. Which was a slight nuisance. He had had plans for those boys. But...they had been declared dead before, that didn't mean it stuck.

"Keep an eye on any of the things they get involved in. If we're mistaken, and Sam and Dean do live, then I want to know about it. And while you do that, prepare a press conference. We'll see if validating them in public doesn't bring results." He said, and the agent looked at him in confusion as Mueller nodded.

Interesting indeed. And also very convenient that they were suddenly dead. No, there was more going on here than he knew. And as a result, he would continue to watch things carefully. Very carefully indeed.

XX

"Well it was good seeing you boys again. Don't leave it so long until your next visit." Missouri said fondly, hugging Dean.

"We won't." He assured her.

"And you three better not be strangers either." Missouri said as she hugged Marion, a limping Garth and Jody.

"We'll keep in touch Missouri. Thanks for everything." Jody said, hugging her friend firmly.

"Bye Missouri. Thanks for all your help." Sam said happily, hugging her after she had hugged Marion and Garth, as Garth took Billy's truck, insisting he would take it easy on his way back to Seattle.

"Call us when you get there!" Jody called as he drove off.

"You're welcome Sam. Don't let Dean boss you around too much." She said, patting his cheek fondly while Dean looked at her in shock and Sam grinned.

Sam and Dean climbed into Tamara's jeep, with Jody and Marion in the back. Waving to Missouri, they were once more bound for South Dakota, Bobby humming to himself as they did so.

XX

The Apocalypse was averted. And now it had to stay that way. He looked to her partner, and she nodded back. They had dropped the ball on this one, and that couldn't be allowed to happen again.

He looked at those under his command, saw their unseeing eyes gazing back at him, and he nodded to himself. They had nearly failed. Next time they might not be so fortunate. Next time, they would do whatever it took.

But for now, they had to clean up the mess of this failure.

There was work to be done.

XX

"Thanks Jody, we couldn't have done all this without you." Dean said, hugging her.

"Oh you're welcome sweetie, but after all this I'm looking forward to dealing with old fashioned human bad guys." She said, and Marion scowled.

"Not Charlie I hope. He's mine." He said darkly, and Sam shook his head.

"No he isn't. He's ours." He said in a dangerous voice which broached no argument.

Jody smiled at the uncertain expression on Marion's face as she hugged Sam fondly.

"You two boys better keep in touch or else, you're in deep trouble." She said warningly, and Sam grinned.

"Don't worry Jody, we'll keep in touch. You're one of the few friends we have left." He said, and she patted his cheek fondly as they all climbed back into the jeep so they could take Marion back to Brandon.

"Bye Bobby. It's weird, but I sort of miss you." She said softly to the ghost, and he grinned at her joyfully.

"I sort of miss you too. Thanks for all your help with the boys, we couldn't have done it without you." He told her, and she smiled as he flickered inside the car, and with a blast of the horn, the boys waved and were gone.

XX

Marion was less than happy when he stomped back out of the police station, his face the very picture of fury.

"That treacherous, scummy little bastard is now the sheriff! He's had me pronounced dead and had swanned in and taken over!" he said indignantly, and Dean narrowed his eyes.

So, Charlie was in Brandon, alive and well, apparently at ease with his murder of Dean, and now he had taken over the police station, the filthy traitor.

"If something were to happen to Charlie, could you become sheriff again?" Sam asked, his voice tight, and Marion nodded.

"As long as I get myself undead, then yes. Do you boys think a tragic accident is going to befall poor Charlie?" he asked grimly, and seeing the dangerous look in Sam's eyes, he didn't need an answer.

XX

"So, you aren't in fact dead? Huh, we heard you had been killed when that FBI agent killed all the other officers here." A new recruit, a young woman said, and Marion shook his head.

"No, I'm not dead. But my dear, I wonder if you could keep it quiet from Charlie? I want my return to be a surprise." He said, and she nodded.

"Of course sir. Will, will you be coming back to work?" she asked, and he gave her a small smile.

"I briefly investigated another line of work. It's not entirely to my liking. So yes, I'll be coming back here." He assured her, and she smiled.

"I look forward to it sir." She said earnestly, and he smiled as he hobbled out of the station.

There was a good crop of officers in there that he could turn into an excellent team. Once he had his job back. He frowned, once more reflecting on how much his life had changed since meeting the Winchesters. Risking his career, fighting the supernatural, losing his leg, and even realising that there were some nasties that just needed to be put down, all because he had taken a chance and believed in a boy accused of the murder of the one he loved the most. And he didn't regret it for a second. Smiling, he at long last headed home to rest his leg, and wondered just what sort of fate would befall Charlie sooner rather than later.

XX

Charlie sat in his armchair, drinking scotch. Everything was going his way again. His wound was mostly healed, he was sheriff, his brother was avenged and even better Dean was dead, taking with him all of the various monsters he had encountered ever since Valente had entered the station those weeks ago. Everything was fine again, and now his brother could finally rest easy.

Smiling to himself, he was just about to go and pour himself another scotch when the light suddenly went out.

Charlie cursed, he ought to have called the electrician the other day, the place had rather fallen apart in his absence. He was about to get up when he found a blade at his throat and, suppressing the sudden surge of fear, he sat back in his armchair, and the light flicked on to reveal the hateful face of Sam Winchester.

"Impossible." Charlie breathed as Sam glowered at him.

"No, not for us as you know. I'm still alive Charlie." He said and Charlie looked at him in fear.

"That's impossible, you were struck by lightning, I heard your brother crying over your body, there's no way..." Charlie protested but Sam slammed him in the face, making him bite down on his tongue, shutting him up instantly while Sam glared at him.

"Shut up. You know Charlie, I didn't think you were particularly clever, but then...then you murdered my big brother. When he couldn't even defend himself. You murdered him in cold blood." Sam growled dangerously, and Charlie looked angrily up at him.

"Like he murdered mine!" he yelled, and Sam shook his head.

"No. Your brother was a werewolf, and he had already killed three people. Dean and I went after him. Dean took the lead. You see, I'd fallen for a girl who happened to be a werewolf and it killed me to kill her. So he wanted to spare me from having to kill another werewolf so soon. Your brother ambushed us, knocked me out, and Dean had no choice but to kill him to save me. He was a monster who was killing people and he had to be stopped. Dean was doing his job. And you, you come along, all arrogant and judgemental, listening to a fricking Leviathan and suddenly you know everything? And so you work with them, and a bunch of murderers, to try and kill Dean. And then, you don't even have the guts to do it properly. You're the scum of the earth." Sam spat, and Charlie found himself shaking in fear.

"He killed my brother, surely you of all people understand..." Charlie said desperately, finding it hard to breathe, and Sam nodded.

"Yeah I do. I understand more than anyone what it's like to lose a brother, the desire to kill the one who took him from you eating away at you. I get it, I really do. Thing is though...you took away my brother. And generally, people who do that, they don't last long." Sam said in a soft deadly voice and Charlie shook his head urgently.

"What are you going to do to me?" he begged and Sam gave him a smug grin.

"Kill you. I've already started, we broke in earlier and laced your scotch with tranquiliser. Never try and kill a friend of a sheriff, you never know when they might be looking the other way. Marion doesn't even care what happens to you, he's so disgusted by what you've become. And now Charlie, you're going to pay for what you did to my brother. You tried to leave me alone without him. Problem is, we have friends in very high places. Don't we Dean?" Sam asked, and Charlie was terrified, his heart pounding like a train as a grinning Dean came up beside his brother.

"No..." Charlie said weakly, losing control of his body in his fear and feeling wetness spread through his trousers.

"You tried to take me away from Sam. We don't like that. And we really don't like you. Now, here's how this is going to work. The drugs we gave you earlier are going to make you as immobile as I was when the gorgon got me. And then we're going to make it look like you left and never came back. And no one will think about you, no one will care and no one will even think to look for you, and even if someone finds you, it'll be too late." Dean hissed and Charlie was shaking in fear, trying to get his body to move, but he couldn't, he wasn't able to move anything.

"No, please." Charlie said as Sam put a bag over his head and the world went black.

XX

They didn't drive for very long, and with no signs of a struggle, as he could hear that the boys had been very methodical, and he knew that this was the end.

"You sure about this?" Dean whispered and Sam sent him a look, shivering, and he could see the fear in Sam's eyes, a fear that Charlie had put there by killing him. As soon as he saw that look, his doubts were quashed.

They pulled up to a wood, and after stuffing Charlie's mouth to stop him screaming, they dragged him all the way up the hill, ignoring his cries and moans as they did so, and when they got to the top, they entered a small copse of trees, crossing a deep burn to do so, dragging him with them the entire way. And then Dean began to dig as Sam pulled the bag off of Charlie's head, glowering at him.

"Please, no!" Charlie said as Sam took out the gag.

Dean then walked over, as if he had spotted a friend and was coming over for a chat. He passed the shovel to Sam who continued to dig the hole while Dean crouched down beside Charlie's trembling form.

"You know, even though you killed me after Sammy died, he still knows what happened. You see, the same thing happened to a friend of ours, the ghost, the closest thing we had to a father. Now, he hasn't said anything, but I know Sam's scared because that's twice now that I've died the exact same way as people who were father's to us. I'm also willing to bet that you killing me is the reason he hasn't slept properly for the last couple of nights, because he keeps having nightmares. You see, Sam's always had nightmares. And when I was a kid, I vowed that I would make sure to hunt down and kill whatever gave my baby brother nightmares. That would be you." Dean said calmly, and Charlie was shaking in fear.

"No, please don't!" he begged, and Sam glared at him.

"You know, we get it. We really do. You wanted revenge for your brother. We understand that. But getting it by working with things like the Leviathans and people like Emily, that wasn't the right way to go about it. And Dean killed your brother because he didn't have a choice, he was being someone who stops bad guys. Just like you're meant to. Thing is, you worked with them, then you killed my brother. Thing is, we came back. And I vowed to kill anyone who tries to take my big brother away from me. That means you." Sam said, and Charlie was shaking his head desperately.

"No, please, no. Don't, I made a mistake, I swear I'll do anything you want, just don't kill me!" he begged, and Sam glowered at him as he pulled a gun from his pocket, complete with silencer.

"You see this here? This bullet? It's the same one you used to kill Dean. I kept it, to remind me of how close I came to losing him again. But, the thing is, this time, the one it gets used on will stay dead. I don't need to remember what it's like to lose Dean. Because I have him and he isn't going anywhere. Unlike you." Sam growled and Dean watched as his little brother cocked the gun.

"Please, no, I made a mistake, I didn't mean to, please!" Charlie pleaded, and Dean watched in grim satisfaction as Sam squeezed the trigger.

XX

Marion, three days later, smiled as he received another handshake from one of the new officers. After the disappearance of Charlie, and now that they knew he was alive, the commissioner of the state had called him and had asked him to take his old job back, which he had happily agreed to. And now, he had to focus on getting the station back to his exacting standards considering the mess that had been made of it recently.

Sam and Dean had come to say goodbye first however.

"Thanks Marion, for everything." Dean said, shaking his hand.

"You're welcome Dean. Now, I hope you two keep in touch. Give me a call if you're ever in South Dakota, I always have a spare room available." Marion said as he shook Sam's hand.

"Thanks. We'll keep in touch, keep you up to date." Sam said, and Bobby smiled at Marion.

"You're an alright sort for a cop. I had the boys leave something at your place, a book of mine, a basic who's who of the things that go bump in the night. Figured you could use it." Bobby said and Marion chuckled.

"Thank you Bobby. It was good getting to know you boys. I better see you soon." He said sternly, and Dean grinned.

"Yeah, probably wanted for something else we didn't do." He laughed and Marion chuckled.

"Alright. Be careful, and good luck. I'd rather not be turned into a nutritious Leviathan snack." He said, and the boys grinned.

"Don't worry, we're on it." Sam assured him, and with a last smile, the boys and Bobby left, and Marion turned to the station.

It felt good to be back again. And now, he had work to do, and a station to get whipped back into shape.

Time to go to work.

XX

"I'm sorry sir, but our hackers are completely unable to figure out who was behind the attacks on the other seals. Whoever they were, they're gone now." Suzan reported and Roman shrugged.

"Not a problem. They helped, now they're gone. Either way, they can't stop us. Any luck breaking into Devreaux's hard drive?" he asked, eager to know exactly what the aged old conspiracy theorist had known about the Winchesters, who he didn't believe were dead for a second. The death toll on the other side was much too high for that. But at least Valente and his friends had been dealt with, allowing him to focus once more on more important matters.

"Well, there is a girl who frequently hacks our systems, Charlie Bradbury, in Illinois. She might be able to crack it." Suzan said, and Roman grinned.

"Good. Get my helicopter ready. Miss Bradbury is about to get the most important assignment of her life." He said, smiling maliciously.

XX

They were once more in a crappy car, once more headed for Rufus' cabin, the three of them pondering how to defeat Roman before he turned America into a sushi bar.

"Sammy?" Dean asked, and his brother looked at him, jerked from his reverie.

"Yeah?"

"What do you say after we stomp Roman, we just go off and relax somewhere for a while, have a holiday, maybe go to Grand Canyon?" Dean asked, and Sam smiled.

"And eat food that's bad for us, drink and hook up with girls?" he asked teasingly, and Dean grinned.

"Obviously." He said smugly, and Sam shook his head.

"Yes to it all but the girls part. You're still banned." Sam said, and Dean looked at him in devastation.

"Wait, what? After saving the damned world again, I'm still on probation?" he demanded in a whining voice, and Sam, grinning widely, nodded.

"Yep."

"Aww Sammy!" Dean whined, and Bobby and Sam began to laugh.

Dean turned and harrumphed out of the window, pouting as he drove.

"Dean..." Sam said, his voice amused.

"I'm not talking to you." Dean said stubbornly, and Sam poked him gently on the arm, making a whining noise in his throat, which he knew would get Dean's attention, and sure enough, afraid he saw something that scared him Dean immediately turned to Sam.

"What?" he asked sullenly, still pouting and even more irked that his brother had manipulated him yet again.

"The ban ends when we stomp Roman." Sam said, and Dean grinned suddenly.

"Really?" he asked excitedly and Sam rolled his eyes.

"Yeah. Really." He said in amusement, pleased with the smile he'd put on his brother's face.

"Score. Thanks Sammy. So, coming up, one roast Leviathan king, and then sea, sand and sex!" Dean yelled excitedly and Sam and Bobby both laughed.

"I can't tell what's made you happier, the thought of having sex again, or giving you the bazooka." Sam said in amusement, and Dean grinned.

"Both. Come on Sammy, we've got a world to save. Purely for selfless reasons of course." Dean said, and Sam scoffed.

Dean grinned at his brother's response.

"Bitch." He said teasingly.

"Jerk." Sam responded with a grin, and as Dean stepped on the gas, both him and his brother grinning in the front, Bobby smiled in the back.

"Edjits."

**The end!**

**So, the Apocalypse is stopped, the angels and demons and Leviathans are dead, Sam and Dean are alive, and the story is set up for the rest of season seven! Pretty rotten considering what happens to Dean at the end with their talk and him promising not to leave Sam.  
**

**And i'm afraid that is the end of this story arc, and for now I must leave Supernatural (though I may do a one shot not involved in the series I'll see). However, as you can see, there is a curious force out there, just who are they? And Mueller isnt all convinced that the boys are dead and that could cause trouble for the boys later on. Another arc is planned, but I should warn you now, I won't start until we know whats happening in season eight (but Garth is coming back and with a bit of luck we may get the boys in tuxedoes again!), and even when it starts there's a good chance I wont start the story until the mid season break, but we'll just have to wait and see!  
**

**RIP to all our friends who didnt make it over the course of the series: Billy, Diamond, Tamara, Cox, Marge, Reynolds and poor Aimo. But, it is Supernatural, and let's face it, the boys are living proof that the dead sometimes dont stay dead for long, so we may see at least one of them again in the next arc.  
**

**And also, a BIH, or BIP as the case may be for all the enemies we've faced: Dean's inner demons, Walt and Roy, Nick the siren, Euryale the gorgon, Zachariah, Becky, Raphael, Lilith, Gordon, Valente, Emily and Charlie!  
**

**Apologies for the mushy stuff, but after the stress of the last few weeks for the boys I felt they needed a reconnect, and Sam had to confront his Jess problems, and I suppose I couldnt resist the cruel irony I put in. Also, apologies if you didnt like what Sam said about not praying anymore, I didnt mean any offence to anyone. And I sort of figure Death has to keep things spinning, hence the logical justification for resurrecting the boys, if nothing else, but I'm convinced he rather likes them, Dean especially. And apologies if anyone thought Sam was a little brutal in dealing with Charlie as he deserved to be dealt with.  
**

**So, now we are truly at the end. Thank you all so much for reading my stories, I've had a great time writing them, and also, thank you for making Bleeding Storm my most reviewed story, it finally beat Harry Potter and the Second War and Digimon 04 The Covenant Strikes Back, so thank you very much for all of your lovely reviews, they do make my day to read them.  
**

**Thank you again for reading them all, I would like to know which one was your favourite out of the lot too, and for the last time, please read and review review review, and I hope to see you all soon after the start of season eight!  
**


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